Why Cement Insulators Are Not Good Insulators For Gun Safes
ABOUT REAL CEMENT INSULATORS
It's Not Good Enough-
If it doesn't have a UL Fire Rating, you can't believe the fire rating given, however, there are a lot of UL Fire rated safes lined with REAL cement. It is one of the best safe insulators with 3" or greater thickness in the walls. Real cement insulators don't need to be installed in safes with thick steel, which also saves manufacturers a lot of money for the higher security.
Weighs The Safe Down-
These safes have weights that are ridiculously high, such as TL rated (or higher rated) safes. Freight alone on a safe that measures 2300lbs safe is anywhere from $700 to $1500. Then, you will need to rent moving equipment or hire someone to move the safe for you, which varies from $500 to $1700. Most foundations can't support the weight of the safes 2300 lbs or greater, so they will eventually start cracking. For example, a TL safe measuring 65.5" H x 30" W x 32 will weigh a minimum of 2300 lbs, to a maximum of 3960 lbs. Not to mention the average cost of a safe using this type of insulator is about $4100. Another problem, although rare, is some safes made with thinner steel (12 gauge) have too much pressure bearing down from the heavy cement and have been known to literally fall out of square several years later.
ABOUT CEMENT COMPOSITE INSULATORS THAT "DRY LIGHTER"
It's Not Good Enough-
If it doesn't have a UL Fire Rating, you can't believe the fire rating given. Currently, there is no UL Fire Rating on a safe with this insulator on the market. However, it is likely to perform better than sheetrock / fire board would. These "cement" composite insulators DO NOT add to the security of the safe like real cement, so it would be best to look at the steel thickness being used to really see how much security your getting. The one pictured below was axed all the way through in 45 seconds, with 27 swings. See the video here. One way to tell the difference between real cement and this composite cement, is to look at the weight. This composite will be way lighter in comparison to a TL safe.
