Gardall used to be a major player in the safe industry. While they are nowhere near as big as they once were, they still make quality burglary and fire safes at affordable prices. In these Gardall Home Safe Reviews, I will explain why these safes are some of the best in the industry.
Lock – Gardall Home Safe Reviews
UL Approved High Security Mechanical Lock
First and always most important for any safe is its lock. The Gardall FB and UL home safes come standard with a UL Approved High Security Mechanical Lock. This is the S&G mechanical lock which is my top recommendation and the best in the industry. This high quality lock is designed to last forever and uses the traditional 3 number combination.
UL Approved High Security Electronic Lock
There is also a second lock option that is the SecuRam UL approved high security electronic lock. This is an excellent quality lock made by a longstanding and reputable company. SecuRam is the exclusive partner of Liberty Safe, has a premier reputation and makes very high quality locks. UL Approved type 1 is the highest security rating available and you would do great with either lock option.
Glass Re-Locker and Hard Plate
No matter the lock option you choose on the FB series, it will be thoroughly protected by both a tempered glass re-locker and an internal hardened steel hard plate. If a burglar decides to drill through the front steel layer and concrete composite, they would then hit the hard plate which absolutely destroys drill bits. Then, if they get through that, they hit a glass re-locker that locks all of the bolts in place once it shatters. It’s placed in front of the lock so you can not miss it if attempting to drill in. Incredible security features protecting the lock on this safe. The UL series is protected by a standard internal re-locker. The MS series does not have a hard plate or a re-locker.
Security – Gardall Home Safe Reviews
The Gardall FB and UL series is UL approved as a Residential Security Container. This means it can withstand adequate burglary attacks for a period of up to 5 minutes with several different tools. The MS series has no security rating.
However, the FB and UL series is so much stronger than just your average RSC rated home safe. Gardall builds this home safe with concrete composite material in-between two layers of steel. The door and body feature a steel plate followed by the concrete composite mixture and then an additional inner steel liner. Also included are 1-1/4″ solid steel locking bolts that provide significant pry resistance.
Fire Rating – Gardall Home Safe Reviews
The Gardall FB and MS home safes are fire rated for 1 hour at 1700 degrees. The UL series is fire rated for 2 hours at 1850 degrees. This is significantly hotter than nearly every competitor. This fire rating is the UL fire rating which is an independent laboratory who verifies the claims of safe companies. This is the hardest fire test to pass and includes a 30 foot drop test after the safe burns in the furnace. Gardall is one of only three companies to build a safe that passes this test. All the other companies only perform factory tests where we have to trust them and take their word for it.
An intumescent door seal is included that expands up to 7 times its size during a fire to seal out smoke and heat from entering the safe.
Style and Function
The Gardall FB and MS series are finished in a two-tone semi-gloss gray paint and the UL series has a variety of textured finishes. Hardware includes a chrome tri-spoke handle or an L shaped handle. Inside you’ll find adjustable or removable shelves. This interior is all metal with no carpeting on the FB and MS while the UL has a plush carpeted interior. Overall, I think the styling is pretty good, it’s significantly better than FireKing but not quite as good as American Security. Finally, a counter sunk bolt down hole is located on the bottom of the safe with all mounting hardware included.
Warranty
The Gardall home safes comes with a lifetime warranty on fires where they will replace the safe at no cost to you if it ever experiences a fire. Gardall also provides a 1 year warranty. Unfortunately, the warranty is very unclear on what is covered or who pays for installation and service. For me, that is a red flag and usually the company will only provide parts but then not pay for drilling, installation and other various labor.
The Bottom Line
Would I buy a Gardall Home Safe to store my valuables? It seems like a great safe and I definitely want to. With solid steel construction, concrete composite material, UL RSC burglary Rating, 1 hour high temperature UL verified fire rating and UL approved high security lock, this is a good option for security and fire protection. However, with such an unclear parts and labor warranty. If something were to go wrong, I don’t know what would be covered. Thus, I can not recommend this product and would not buy it. I absolutely do not recommend the MS series as it does not have any security ratings or lock ratings.
There are safes with a detailed product warranty that has even better features and is Made in USA. The American Security BF Home Safes feature a thicker 1/2″ steel plate door, thicker steel plates in the body, a much more attractive finish with multiple color options and is made by a reputable and long standing American company. I would recommend buying an American Security BF home safe instead of this.
