In terms of security, doors are typically the cheapest to upgrade, and the first line of defense in a security system that most intruders test. Many successful breaks during a burglary are attributed to the door giving way to a kick within 30 seconds or a crowbar being used, or not built to resist. The key to successful door selection is to match the door to the threat level, not to simply choose the highest door level in the brochure.
This covers everything from upgraded domestic front doors to certified high-rated commercial doors. Security garage doors are found in the garage doors section with the same consideration to the spec value of a commercial security door.
Domestic security
Most domestic break-ins happen at the front and back doors. The door, the lock, and the frame are the three main components of a door, and are all typically the weakest points, with most of the focus placed on the door in that order.
A security front door comprises three components: the door slab, the locking system, and the frame. The door slab must be able to withstand a kick, and the preferred materials here are a composite door slab with a steel core, versus an old uPVC slab or a hollow timber slab. The locking system must employ anti-snap, anti-bump, and anti-pick locking cylinders (TS 007 3-star or SS 312 Diamond) and must feature multi-point locks. A reinforced frame is a must where the lock engages, as the weakest part of any security door system is typically the strike plate, and not the locking mechanism itself.
When specifying a security door for a dwelling, you’ll want to see PAS 24 certification. It is a test for a security door system as a whole, and against the standards for new buildings, it is placed under Approved Document Q. While PAS 24 certification is not a requirement for other door systems, it is a useful comparison standard for a door system as a whole, not just a door sold with a single, high-quality security component.
Commercial security
As threats increase, so do the specifications.
Security shutters are the standard for any commercial shutter, ground-level retail stores, and any shopfront windows. For lesser risk commercial shutters, you’ll want to see an aluminum shutter; for higher risk commercial shutters, you’ll want to see a galvanized steel shutter. Electric operation is standard for shutters greater than 3 meters. A perforated security shutter allows a greater ability to watch the street (and thus, easier petty crimes), while a solid shutter offers more an privacy and slightly better security.
The security grilles we offer incorporate methods for achieving maximum air flow while leaving your structure secure. These are ideal for secondary entrances, vents for basements, and plant rooms. Weather isn’t kept out, but is not a part of the purpose of these security grilles.
For buildings that are often vandalized but not burglarized, anti-vandal doors are a good fit. This can be practically all public facilities: schools, community services buildings, public restrooms, social housing community entrances. We use fully steel construction with concealed hinges and protected locks. The doors are industrial and are built to survive multiple attacks on purpose.
Certified high-rated doors
The LPS 1175 rated doors offer a higher level of protection for sites with a credible threat. This range of doors is rated to withstand attacks from a fully equipped vandal with power tools (rated for SR5) down to the unarmed casual vandal (rated for SR1). The full rating includes all the construction details of the door including frame and hinge details and the locks which are all certified to the rating.
Industries that typically use these doors are utilities, data centers, custody, and secure storage sites in addition to high-value retail sites and back of house areas. Anywhere a door failing is unacceptable is a good location for these doors.
If you require blast resistant and bullet resistant doors, you are beyond the standard offerings. The blast resistance is standard EN 13123 and the ballistic protection is covered in standard EN 1522. These are specialist applications and if you are unsure you require these, it is unlikely you do.
Selecting the Appropriate Rating
An overbuying or underbuying mistake is common in security specification. Take the example of a semi-detached residential building. A contractor wouldn’t need to install an SR3 rated door. A PAS 24-rated composite door with an appropriate locking system suffices. A retailer located in the downtown area would require more than a dead-bolted wooden door. You need to match the threat with the outcome of the security breach to find the appropriate solution.
Before making a purchasing decision, a good exercise is to consider who would actively break down the door, what tools they would use, and how much time they would spend doing that. Is trying to purchase a solution that would prevent them from being successful at trying to break the door worth three times the budget? Probably not, it is a waste of the budget. What is worst is to purchase the solution that lets them be successful at trying to break down the door.
The following pages elaborate on the different security solution categories. They will define the different standards and how the credible solutions differ from certified solutions. They will also include how the reproduction copies that are sold will most likely look similar to the solutions certified for the standards.