46erjoe wrote:
I've been disappointed in the fire ratings of household safes I have
seen in office supply stores. One $400 safe was effective for only one
hour at 1500 degrees. I wonder if there is a better way.

I don't need to keep valuables (I have very few of them) in a safe,
just important papers (car titles, military records, etc.) so I was
just wondering....

My home has a cinder block wall for a foundation. What if, down in the
basement, I chiseled out out a small 1' X 1' section that's below
grade, dug into the earth some, and then inserted some kind of steel
box in the hole, seal it to the wall and attach a fiberglass-insulated
door of some kind. Seems like this would be cheaper and much more
effective than any commercial job.

Problem with those safes unless they have changed is sure, the safe
itself is fireproof, but what can it do to the internal tempature of a
nasty fire? The papers will turn to powder when picked up. Maybe sink
the safe into the ground a few feet.