[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/hoogerhydesafe.com\/2014\/03\/gun-safe-fire-ratings-insulation\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/hoogerhydesafe.com\/2014\/03\/gun-safe-fire-ratings-insulation\/","headline":"Gun Safe Fire ratings:  Insulation","name":"Gun Safe Fire ratings:  Insulation","description":"Consumers are usually surprised to find that the majority of gun safes use dry-wall for insulation — aka sheetrock, wall board, etc.\u00a0 Commercial and residential fire safes are not built this way, but dry-wall construction allows gun safe makers to have lower start-up costs and faster production speeds. Dry-wall contains moisture which gets forced out…","datePublished":"2014-03-24","dateModified":"2019-01-16","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/hoogerhydesafe.com\/author\/grandesigns\/#Person","name":"Admin","url":"https:\/\/hoogerhydesafe.com\/author\/grandesigns\/","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/302e0bd4e1d62d1d917293ff473387856858f266d762e7754946563505fc1cc9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/302e0bd4e1d62d1d917293ff473387856858f266d762e7754946563505fc1cc9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Hoogerhyde Safe and Lock","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/hoogerhydesafe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Hoogerhyde-logo.png","url":"https:\/\/hoogerhydesafe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Hoogerhyde-logo.png","width":600,"height":217}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"http:\/\/www.tomziemer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/img059-224x300.jpg","url":"http:\/\/www.tomziemer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/img059-224x300.jpg","height":"300","width":"224"},"url":"https:\/\/hoogerhydesafe.com\/2014\/03\/gun-safe-fire-ratings-insulation\/","about":["Uncategorized"],"wordCount":444,"keywords":["gun safes","safe construction"],"articleBody":"Consumers are usually surprised to find that the majority of gun safes use dry-wall for insulation — aka sheetrock, wall board, etc.\u00a0 Commercial and residential fire safes are not built this way, but dry-wall construction allows gun safe makers to have lower start-up costs and faster production speeds.Dry-wall contains moisture which gets forced out by the heat of a fire, in the form of water vapor.\u00a0 That happens at about 300 to 330 degrees, and it actually provides cooling, similar to water evaporating off your skin.\u00a0 The water vapor then creates a positive steam pressure inside the safe.\u00a0 This pressure will minimize heat and smoke infiltration if there is a good fit between the door and frame (something missing in many safes).There are several types of dry-wall.\u00a0 As far as I can tell every gun safe manufacturer that uses dry-wall, except for Fort Knox, use \u201cType X\u201d.\u00a0 As \u201ctype X\u201d dry-wall loses moisture it wants to contract and will eventually break into pieces similar to a dry mud puddle.\u00a0 Then it can cave in like it did in the gun safe shown below.\u00a0 Fort Knox uses \u201cType C\u201d dry-wall, which is more expensive.\u00a0 But Type C has a component which prevents cracking and caving in.\u00a0 Obviously, this is better.Safe failed when dry-wall caved inAlso important is how the drywall is installed.\u00a0 Most companies pack it in tight to the steel of the safe body, so as soon as any heat hits the steel the insulation gets hot, too.\u00a0 Fort Knox builds an air pocket between the steel and the insulation to slow down heat transfer.\u00a0 (Think of the effectiveness of the air gap in a double pane window.)No insulation where hinge strap goesSome manufacturers talk about how many layers of dry-wall they use but then cut away big chunks of it which creates hot spots when exposed to heat.\u00a0 When a safe has internal hinges, look and you may see that all the insulation is cut away (right down to the steel) where the hinge straps move as the door closes.\u00a0 Recessed holes in the ceiling for lights mean insulation is missing there, too.\u00a0 If you had a fire and burning wood falls on top of your safe, wouldn\u2019t it be best for all the insulation to be in place? \u00a0Purchase a low-end safe made in China and there is a chance that the dry-wall is actually construction scraps.\u00a0 I have seen inside a number of doors on Chinese safes where pieces of dry-wall as small as 5-inch squares are pieced together and glued in place.\u00a0 And people wonder why they cost so much less?More on insulation soon . . . "},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2014","item":"https:\/\/hoogerhydesafe.com\/2014\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"03","item":"https:\/\/hoogerhydesafe.com\/2014\/\/03\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Gun Safe Fire ratings:  Insulation","item":"https:\/\/hoogerhydesafe.com\/2014\/03\/gun-safe-fire-ratings-insulation\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]