Richard Morris from door security and hardware firm, UAP Ltd, discusses the security and safety implications of letterplate specification.
Much of our correspondence may be paperless these days, but homes still need a letterplate where letters, circulars and newspapers can be posted. Located prominently on the front door of a house or an apartment, the wrong choice of letterplate can be an eyesore, but that’s not the only issue with specification. Letter plates can also present a security risk, fire safety issue or problems with access and Disability Act compliance, which is why it’s important to understand the potential specification pitfalls and what to look for when selecting a product.
Vulnerabilities
Historically, letter plates have been the most vulnerable part of a door, enabling thieves to ‘fish’ through the aperture to retrieve keys from hallways and gain access to properties. Often, homeowners don’t understand the risks of leaving keys conveniently placed on a console table in the hall or a hook near the door until a thief has fished for them to gain access to their property or steal their car.
Stricter compliance for letterplate design since the TS008 standard was introduced in 2016 effectively preventing key fishing and manipulation of the thumbturn cylinder. TS008 letterplate fixings also have to be capable of withstanding 1.2kN (122.366kgs) of force application, held for ten seconds at each end of the letter plate. This helps in preventing an intruder gaining unrestricted access to the aperture.
But security is not the only risk. Fire safety is also an important consideration and, in multi-occupancy buildings, containing a fire within the property where it started, rather than allowing it to spread throughout the building, is just as important as preventing fire from spreading from common areas into individual homes. That’s why fire doors are required as the front doors to individual apartments within multi-occupancy buildings, or for doors that lead onto shared balcony walkways. For these environments, TS008 compliance applies to ensure security, and the letterplate must also provide a fire rating equal to the rating of the door, while still allowing items defined in the postal services standard BS EN 13724: 2013 to completely pass through the aperture without being damaged.
Design
The challenge for companies developing TS008 compliant letter plates has been that the additional design features required to make letter plates safer and more secure in order to meet the standard have often resulted in practical and aesthetic issues. Many modern properties have narrow hallways, and the standard response of designing letter plates with a bulky cowl on the interior side of the door sometimes makes it impossible to fully open the door. This causes issues with Equality Act compliance because it restricts the clear opening and raises safety issues around egress and evacuation. Even when the door can fully open, a bulky cowl may cause damage to wall surfaces due to repeated collisions. This sometimes results in the occupier – or even the installer – removing the cowl, which can compromise security and fire safety.
Compliance
Letterplates fitted at many residential properties may need to be TS008 for PAS 24:2016 compliance and Document Q approval. But not all compliant letter plates are bulky. The Soterian range from UAP Ltd features a pivoting stay mechanism, which reduces the internal flap projection to just 35mm from the door surface, giving a less intrusive feel to the door and enabling the door to open fully without the risk of any damage to the interior wall. The absence of fixings to the TS 008 Soterian letter plate’s exterior further enhances security by preventing anyone from unscrewing the outer section from the door.
Further product development at UAP Ltd has now resulted in an even slimmer option in the patent-pending Soterian Slim range, which offers an internal flap projection of just 14mm. The restricted opening protects against both fishing and thumbturn manipulation, while the slim, discreet design is both practical and unobtrusive. Both the Soterian and Soterian Slim ranges have been rigorously tested for 20,000 cycles to prove long-term performance. They are available in a variety of colours and finishes to match existing décor and individual tastes.
Solutions
Fire safety is also an important factor for any letterplate required for use with a fire door. It is now four years since the Grenfell Tower fire, and the tragedy has had far-reaching consequences, including a positive impact on due diligence when selecting building products, particularly for use in residential projects.
Effective protection from the spread of fire from either side of the door is an essential feature of any letterplate installed in a fire door, which is why UAP Ltd has not only invested in product development but also in rigorous in-house and third-party testing. Soterian is the only Certifire range of TS008 letter plates available, with intumescent material expanding to create a fire barrier equal to the performance of the required fire door.
Collaborative product development and testing with intumescent material specialist, Lorient, has ensure that fire-rated models have the correct level of fire-stopping for specific fire door rating and the intumescent material is neatly incorporated into the design so that it does not present any issues with the size, appearance or security of the letter plate.
Fire-rated models have also been developed for the Soterian Slim range and these have already been successfully tested in FD30 and FD 60 doors by two door manufacturers and at Lorient’s testing facility. This range will also be submitted to Certifire for certification in the near future. While, for composite and steel doors, the fire door manufacturer has to test a complete door and letterplate assembly in combination, a Certifire letterplate can be installed in any timber fire door with no additional testing.
Performance
It’s easy to mistake a letterplate as a simple piece of hardware that frames an aperture for post, but it plays a critical role in preventing that aperture from becoming a risk to security and fire safety. Aesthetics are always important, but, when it comes to safety and security, it’s performance that really matters.
About the firm
Set up in 2006, UAP is a supplier of hardware and locking systems based in Manchester. Visit https://uapcorporate.com/.
