Liberty Safe takes fire testing seriously

In fact, so seriously that we base our fire testing on standards that have been developed according to research conducted through the efforts of the U.S. Department of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for a “full-scale house fire.”

During NIST’s joint study with the ATF, U.S. Fire Administration, National Fire Protection Association and American Re-Insurance, temperatures were recorded to show what exactly goes on during the first minutes of an intense home fire.

When Liberty certifies our safes for fire protection, we rely on furnace testing. We ramp the furnace temperature up to 1200 degrees during the first 10 minutes of the test.

Why? Because the NIST test has shown that fire temperatures hit 1200 degrees during the initial moments of a fire.

Meanwhile, many other safe manufacturers skew their furnace test results by slowing their 1200 ramp-up to 20-30 minutes. They do this to make it appear that their safes can withstand the heat of fire for a longer period of time. Don’t let the results from other manufacturers’ furnace fire tests fool you.

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. The same holds true for a safe’s fire protective features.

To build a superior fire-resistant safe, you need three key features:

1. Multiple layers of fire-rated board for insulation throughout the safe, including walls, door, ceiling and door jambs. These layers should be interlinked to prevent any gaps that can allow fire or hot air to reach the contents of the safe.
2. Thick steel bodies with minimal welds. The thicker, the better when it comes to the steel used to construct a fire-resistant safe. Ideally, the safe should have minimal welds to prevent any potential areas where heat or smoke can seep into the safe.
3. No weak links, like cheap door seals. A superior, fire-resistant safe needs to have a superior door seal that keeps heat, fire and smoke out. All full-size Liberty gun safes feature a heat-activated, expanding Palusol® door seal.

When it comes to fireboard installation, regular drywall (sheetrock) will not do.

While some manufacturers will use common gypsum board as a barrier for heat and fire, Liberty does not.

Instead, we use multiple layers of 5/8-inch thick fire-rated drywall for safe fire protection.

The gypsum core in fire-rated drywall is specially reinforced with glass fiber and other additives to boost its fire-resistance.