Our climate-controlled storage is designed specifically with the needs of magnetic media in mind. Magnetic media assets stored with us are typically active or semi-active and our storage takes this into account. One of the greatest dangers to magnetic media is "thermal cycling". When stressed by variations in temperture and humidity, magnetic media will age rapidly. Whether being accessed for reformatting, or for your usage, assets are readily available without prolonged climatizing to prevailing conditions.
Great care was taken to the safety of magnetic media stored at Safe Sound Archive. In addition to dedicated temperature and humidity control for the storage area, our design criteria included significant fire protection.
Protection inside is with Halon fire-suppression. Our Halon was acquired
long before this agent was phased out, and we have never had a discharge of
the agent! Our system was completely rebuilt by an EPA-licensed contractor
in 2000.
Outside protection is in multiple layers:
- built directly upon 12" concrete slab, directly on grade (first floor, no basement)
- 2 overlapping layers of calcium silicate (3" thick)
Calcium silicate's heat and fire protection is so great it's used in the blast furnaces of steel mills!
- 1/2" ceramic-fiber "blanket" insulation.
Ceramic-fiber insulation is used in the walls of kilns
- 3/4" sheet-rock interior facing
Nominal rated protection of this design: 4.5 hours at 2,400ºF!
Further protecting for this area includes a rubber roof, protecting the space from water leaks from above, or, in the event of a fire elsewhere in the building, damage from the water used to fight an external fire.
