Adding insulation to an RSC / Safe

[cbuttre835]

I have spent a couple nights reading various safe / RSC threads. The Texas wildfire thread really caught my eye.

Here is where I am: I don't have that extensive a collection; not enough to warrant a TL30x6 type safe. I do have a lot of sentimental stuff - mostly non-weapons related - pictures, pocketknives, newspaper clippings, a quilt or two - I'd like to preserve for posterity, in the event of a fire. And I do have a couple old guns I'd like to see preserved - like the $6 rifle that my dad's lone uncle bought him in exchange for a week's labor in a tobacco patch.

So with that said, a decent 10 gauge RSC with a mechanical lock, well hidden, is a start (for me). But sheet rock sucks and really only offers thermal mass - not insulation - and the poured-in-place stuff drives the cost of the container to the cost of my collection. Depending on bottles of water in the top to explode looks like a bad idea for pictures.

Anybody got any experience with adding in an aftermarket material?

Such as:

http://www.rsifibre.com/products/fireproof-insulation.php

various stone "wools" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineral_wool

You'd have a fairly decent box (10 gauge around sheetrock) to protect the typically more delicate material with a high R value... keep the innards cool.

Heat transfer experts chime in.... am I barkin up the wrong tree?

 

[hso]

Heat transfer experts chime in.... am I barkin up the wrong tree?

Yes, and no.

It is difficult to cost effectively make a heat/fire resistant space against normal residential fires, which actually have hours of high temp time, when you're comparing monetary value against sentimental value. You would be well advised to pick the part of the house that will have the quickest burn down/cool off, build a box with a thick insulating space with several inches of mineral wool insulation and a hard exterior that is a poor thermal conductor. You could use concrete board on a wooden frame with a multiple layers of high R insulation with an interior of something that won't cook a lot of moisture out or even build it out of block and insulation. You do want to protect the valuables against moisture/condensation.

You need to put pictures and papers in a real document fire safe. If you want to put it inside your RSC instead of hiding it to keep thieves from finding it, I'd reconsider.

If you build your fire safe box, I'd still put the irreplaceable items in a fire safe.

 

[a1abdj]

I'd go a step further and put the small stuff in a safe deposit box at the bank. Bank vaults are just about the safest place (not pun intended) against any risk you would ever face. About the only thing they haven't survived in recent times were the flood waters of Katrina.

Anything below grade will withstand a fire better than anything above grade. If you have a basment, start there. HSO mentioned a few of the other important things, but I will add that air is also a good insulator. If you could build a "fireproof" room around your safe, you would have better protection than some insulation placed directly against the safe.

Fire code around here says that garages on new construction have to use 2 layers of 5/8" fire rated gypsum. This is the same that you would find in a typical gun safe with a 1 hour rating. The reality is that you would have 2 layers of 5/8" fire rated gypsum in the garage, and air void (or insulation) in the studs, and a 1/2" layer of gypsum on the inside of the house. I have seen fires in some of these garages, and that set up did a great job of keeping the fire out of the house. If you could construct a room in a similar fashion, then placed the safe in the room, you'd be in pretty good shape.

 

[hso]

a1abdj,

How would you achieve the needed protection with a door into the "room" without the expense of a fire door?

 

[a1abdj]

How would you achieve the needed protection with a door into the "room" without the expense of a fire door?

I'd use a fire door. I'm also a scrounger. Most commercial buildings are required to have fire rated doors. I'd keep my eyes out for any building demolition in the area, and approach one of the guys before they started tearing the building down. $20 or a case of beer can get you some pretty nice stuff from these guys.

If you have better things to do, try craigslist. I see them listed there all the time for $50 - $100. Be warned, they are pretty heavy. make sure you take some help if you're picking one up.

 

[heeler]

Exactly what a1abdj mentioned about the fire door.
I am a building engineer in a commercial building and have seen countless heavy duty fire doors end up in the 20 yard demo dumpster.
In fact several of us took a large number to a ranch we had leased out for deer hunting back in the early 90's and used them for the outer walls to build a cabin.

 

[hso]

Great idea on scrounging a fire door. Added to a "closet" with the extra layers of wall board and air gap could give you a fighting chance to save your valuables.

 

[cbuttre835]

Good feedback.

Where I live we have decent fire protection. I like the idea of the RSC in a corner, hopefully able to dissipate heat to the outside soon after the walls come down.

The fire room is a novel concept too. I have tinkered with the idea of a FEMA storm shelter (double 3/4 inch plywood skinned with 12 gauge and double studs inside); might have to roll in the concepts above to said room......

Y'all check this stuff out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerogel

If it wasn't so expensive it'd be the hot tip (pun intended).