Pictured is Yale’s Postmaster Professional TS008 letterplate.
In the UK, current guidance states that public or private shared properties should be compartmentalised – spilt into smaller spaces with barriers preventing the spread of fire and smoke. The fire doorsets used to help create these compartments should be able to halt fire for at least 30 minutes, with taller or higher occupancy buildings needing doors able to endure for at least 60 minutes. The FD60 specification tests doorsets to withstand at least 60 minutes against fires. When tested as part of a doorset, Yale’s Postmaster Professional TS008 letterplate not only exceeded the FD60 time test by an additional 25 per cent, but also passed the smoke leakage test, the product developers say.
PAS 24:2016
In October 2018, an updated version of the PAS 24 standard, which covers security doorsets, came into effect. PAS 24:2016 is now mandatory for all new developments or refurbishment projects that wish to meet Secured by Design, and this includes the requirement for TS008 letterplates to be installed on all doorsets. The TS008 technical specification was developed by the Door & Hardware Federation (DHF) and covers ‘enhanced security and general requirements for letter plate assemblies and slide through boxes’. Its main purpose is evaluating how the letterplate performs against opportunist attacks from burglars and other criminals, though it also assesses its resistance to corrosion, water, and fire.
Approved Document Q
TS008 certified letterplates are specifically referenced within the Building Regulations Approved Document Q as being shown to protect against various attack methods, including letterplate ‘fishing’.
Yale says that its Postmaster Professional letterplate can help architects, specifiers, and OEMs to meet all these standards. The letterplate has an external austenitic 304 stainless steel letter flap that comes with a 25-year surface finish guarantee. It also features a flap that opens 180 degrees to help eliminate excess leverage on pivot points and a peripheral seal on the external flap to help form a thermal and acoustic barrier.
The product comes in a range of finishes – polished, brushed, satin silver, gold, black and white, and it’s suitable even for narrow hallways, the makers say. It has no sharp corners, reducing the risk of injury to children and pets when held open by packages and newspapers.
Yale Door and Window Solutions has launched a white-paper for architects, specifiers, and OEMs to specify and fit letterplates that meet PAS 24:2016, in line with Secured by Design regulations. To download the paper visit https://bit.ly/2T5UJcS.
