One common question that is asked about our frameless glass doors is whether they’re secure.
Aluminium is a fantastic material for windows and doors. One of the best features of aluminium doors is their high strength with slim sightlines. Therefore aluminium profiles themselves are what helps to make other doors secure. If frameless glass doors don’t have aluminium framing how can they be secure?
The same question would apply to frameless folding doors, slide and turn doors and our frameless range of entrance doors.
Frameless bifolding doors are indeed secure.
Our doors have passed PAS 24 2012. This is the current standard for enhanced security on doors. But what does this test mean and what is it all about?
PAS 24:2012 is the Enhanced Security Test for doors. PAS stands for Publicly Available Specification. This is a minimum standard that tests windows and doors to established BSI and other recognised specifications. There is no upper or lower level of security with this test. For example, some other types of tests are low, medium or high security. With PAS24:2012 a door can either pass or fail.
The PAS 24 test puts our doors under specific door hardware and door cylinder attack tests. It’s also an enhanced security test meaning that doors which pass PAS24 can be regarded as secure doors.
Frameless Glass Curtains have passed PAS24 with flying colours.
The great thing about passing this type of security test is that it is a ‘minimum standard’. This sets out the basic requirements under which a door will pass or fail. The reality is that our doors just like quality composite doors and even windows are designed to be highly secure way above the minimum standard.
You may think that minimum implies less. It does not. It simply means that door engineers have a minimum requirement to work to. Should they wish to make their doors even better than this standard requirement, that is up to them. What it has proven however is that these minimum levels set by the British Standards Institute are actually great as a minimum requirement.
So how are Frameless Glass Curtains tested for security?
The process of getting doors certified under the standard is by submitting the product to one of the recognised United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS). These are accredited test houses that perform all kinds of testing for building products, consumer products and much more besides.
Once our doors achieve a Pass, we are then examined even further in our factory to ensure our processes are up to scratch. When this independent certification body is completely satisfied with how we make our doors and how we manage our processes we are awarded with our Certificate and associated paperwork.
All these processes enable us to provide you with doors that are certificated to PAS 24 and the fit for purpose standards.
What happens after doors are PAS24 Certified?
It is easy to assume that a door once tested and certified remains so. This is actually not the case. At Frameless Glass Curtains, we are regularly inspected by these Testing Institutes.
This is to ensure that our quality of manufacture is maintained at all times and that every door continues to meet the standards by which certification and fit for purpose status was issued.
For example if we change a component or a design feature of our doors, we are required to advise the Certification Body. This may require a retest of the door. So the quality process is ongoing.
As a final note, it’s widely reported by representatives of these Certification Bodies that PAS 24 doors have proved so effective and their security is so good that Police Officers have often had to reconsider how they force entry into a property. Previous an insecure door was an easier method before these tests came about.
So whilst our doors benefit from lots of glass and little aluminium framing, you have our assurance that our doors are indeed tested and will keep your home secure.
