Key safe conundrum

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Key safe conundrum

Post by French Cricket »

I want to buy a key safe for our new cottage (it will be fixed to the wall in the porch) but I'm really struggling to find one that will take the key, which is 11cm long.

I was hoping to buy the Supra C500 that I know a lot of people on here have, but although it's one of the biggest, it still won't take my key. Unless ... I could wedge it in diagonally. So I'm wondering if anyone who has the C500 (or any other decent key safe) would do me the favour of measuring to see if there's any possibility of fitting it in.

I don't want to change the lock, which is an old lock mounted on an old, and thick, wooden door (hence the long key). But I absolutely need a key safe, so I'm a bit stuck. Advice welcomed!
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Post by KathyG »

We had the same problem in our house in France FC and my husband drilled out a long hole behind the key safe to take the key. Would that work for you?
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Post by French Cricket »

Hmmm - interesting idea ... though it's a stone wall! So probably not possible, sadly. Thanks for the thought though.
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Post by newtimber »

Replace the lock with a modern mortice lock? It must be very inconvenient to have such a long key as it won't fit in your pocket.
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Post by Hells Bells »

Which may be why FC wants a key safe.
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Post by French Cricket »

Ha ha!

No, I want a key safe to help with late arrivals, for any guests who aren't coming on from our Ariège house. And I definitely don't want a modern lock - it's an old cottage, and the lock and door are part of its charm ...
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Post by Ecosse »

Could you build a wee wooden key safe with a normal lock for the long key, and install the combi lock key safe, holding the key for the wooden box in it? It would mean 2 stages for your guests to get the long key... but surely shouldn't be too taxing, even for those with holiday brains?
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Post by akwe-xavante »

I would want to keep that door and key original too, I want one!

Given that it will be essentially indoors being in a porch or at least undercover from above if not from the side how about a small safe as apposed to a key safe.

There are many small safes larger than a key safe.
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Post by Giraffe »

A slightly different angle on key safes. A few years ago the key safe that the agent had installed was stolen. The one I have now is cemented into the stone wall. Required drilling into granite, but the builder managed it. I'm sure that modern key safes have features to avoid theft, or do they?
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Post by PW in Polemi »

How about a good quality post box?
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Post by akwe-xavante »

I don't have a key safe yet, I've considered it a few times but always managed without so far.

But if I did decide to fit one I would fit it recessed into the stonework so that it was flush with the surface and as tight a fit as possible and fasten it in using bolts rather than screws.

Even consider bolting it all the way through the wall and putting a plate on the reverse side, a bit OTT perhaps.

I would also only put the key in the key safe as it was required only so that 360+ days a year there would be no key in the box.

I would then need a CCTV camera too in my case as it would be on a public footpath.
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Post by amandajane »

gitemontjoly wrote:Could you build a wee wooden key safe with a normal lock for the long key, and install the combi lock key safe, holding the key for the wooden box in it? It would mean 2 stages for your guests to get the long key... but surely shouldn't be too taxing, even for those with holiday brains?
That was exactly what I was going to suggest! But of course it too would need to be secure or someone could just bypass the first key safe!
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Post by French Cricket »

Yes, I'd thought of that too (great minds and all that :lol: ) but decided it wouldn't be secure enough.

I have now found a Masterlock key safe that will take the key diagonally so will probably go for that. It's not quite as secure as the C500 but I don't think it'll be a huge problem. And I'll place it beside the garage/workshop so that it'll just look like an entry for that.

PW, the problem with a post box is that you have to have a - erm - key to get into it! (And here all the keys are the same so that the postman can open them all).

Thanks all for suggestions and comments.
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Post by newtimber »

French Cricket wrote: And I definitely don't want a modern lock - it's an old cottage, and the lock and door are part of its charm ...
Our insurers (UK) insist that everything has to have 5 lever mortice locks (and the fire escape plan says that you have to be able to get out of the property without using a key, so we have the eurolock type) - so we just add another lock and keep the original in place for the history...
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Post by zebedee »

According to the website, the internal dimensions of the C500 are

Height 81.28mm 3 3/64"
Width 50.8mm 2"
Depth 22.86mm 29/32"

But then it says "the large 76 x 53mm vault of the C500 allows you to store between 1 and 6 keys depending on the type of key and length (5-6 Yale or 2-5 Chubb style keys)

Can you draw a template of these sizes on a piece of paper and see if you key will fit in??

Make sure the master lock one you are thinking of is not the one with the Utube video of how to break in to it :cry: :cry:

Edited to add, you can email the makers on sales@keysafe.co.uk or ring on 01905 770 333. I would be inclined to contact them direct and ask
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