Due to the pandemic, reported burglaries have reduced over the past two years. But that downward trend is an anomaly. Expensive and portable tech, car keys, bank cards and even correspondence from which thieves can harvest data are all reasons for criminals to keep developing techniques for breaking into others’ homes. And as things return to normal and the nights draw in for winter, criminals may even audaciously break in while a property’s residents are at home in bed or watching TV.
To help protect home owners and tenants from this threat, the Government introduced Approved Document Q: Security, Dwellings in 2015; statutory building regulations guidance which outlines the standards required for doors and windows in new properties to protect the occupier from the threat of burglary. To comply with Document Q, doors installed in new homes must pass PAS 24 testing, a testing process that requires the fully-finished door, including all hardware and locks, to withstand attempt to gain access.
Barry Halpin, sales director at UAP Ltd, pictured, says: “Mandatory testing is integral to product development costs for door manufacturers and any door that does not pass first time must be re-tested until it meets the required standard. Consequently, any element of the door that does not pass, no matter what it might be, can cause the whole door to fail, incurring the costs associated with re-testing and delays in bringing the finished door to market.
“UAP’s approach is to work in partnership with door manufacturers to provide a complete set of door hardware and the locking system, combining products that have already undergone substantial testing and quality assurance, to enable a first time pass for newly developed doors. We also ensure that the hardware we provide delivers a co-ordinated aesthetic, aligned to the design of the door, and provide full technical support and guidance during production selection, installation and throughout the testing process.”
One of the UK door manufacturers that has taken this approach is PDS Doorsets, a specialist in composite doors and fire doors for residential properties. UAP supports PDS’ R&D and testing regimes by providing complete sets of hardware as test samples, including Fullex multipoint locks TS008 Soterian letterplates, Duo door handles and Kinetica 3* cylinders. For fire door products, UAP provides locks and hardware from its Firemongery range of fire safety products, which have already been tested and certified for fire-rated installations.
Ben Davies, testing compliance manager at PDS says: “The hardware elements installed in a door are often the most vulnerable points for burglars seeking to gain access. While the lock is the obvious focus for security, the letterplate and other fixtures could also be a potential weakness if the products are not well-designed, manufactured to a high standard, compliant and installed properly.
“When we work with UAP, we are dealing with a company that has worked in the sector for 25 years and is constantly investing in new product development so we know we can trust them to offer us the right combination of security, fire safety and aesthetics for each door we need to test. PAS 24 involves destructive testing, so having a partner that will provide us with enough complete sets of samples to put the required number of doors through their paces to prove compliance is a big help. It also means we can be confident of avoiding spiralling costs and delays due to re-testing.”
The PAS 24 testing process includes scrutiny of door fabrication and the hardware. The test procedures include a manipulation test, with attempts made to gain entry by the hardware being operated, released or disengaged, and a security hardware and cylinder test, which assesses the door furniture, hardware and cylinder’s resistance to manual attack. This testing process includes attempts to remove, dislodge or gain access to the cylinder, attempts to break or defeat the cylinder by applying a twisting or bending force and, should access to the internal workings of the cylinder be achieved, it also includes attempts to defeat the lock and gain access by operating any accessible mechanism. Testing on the door hardware also includes attempts to screw a self-cutting traction screw into any part of the exposed cylinder and then attempt to break and disable the cylinder by applying a nominally axial force to the screw, using a hooked head attachment and torque gauge. The door furniture and cylinder also have to remain intact and firmly fixed in place during a series of loading and impact tests designed to ensure the door can withstand various forms of attack.
Ben adds: “Before we submit any door for testing, we need to be confident that all the door hardware is compliant and robust enough to withstand the test process, and that it is correctly installed to maximise performance. Not only are we confident that UAP will provide a full set of hardware to meet these requirements and complement the aesthetic of the door design, we also know that their products are developed for ease of installation and that their technical team is on hand to assist us in checking correct installation prior to testing, providing further assurance of a first time pass.”
Fire safety
UAP also provides products, support and guidance to door manufacturers in preparation for fire door testing, offering complete sets of hardware samples for the tests along with the company’s expertise. This includes UAP’s TS008 compliant Soterian letterplates, the only TS008 letterplates with a Certifire certification, along with its Firemongery range of Document Q compliant fire rated hardware.
Barry adds: “The boom in multi-occupancy residential developments and student accommodation means there is an increasing demand for domestic fire doors and our range is designed to prevent fire and smoke from spreading into individual dwellings from common areas, as well as the other way around.
“While Certifire approved TS008 letterplates can be fitted to timber fire doors with no further testing, composite or steel fire doors must be tested as part of a complete door configuration prior to approval of the door’s fire rating, and this is another way in which we support door manufacturers to achieve rapid and cost-effective approval for their products.”
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