Door and window security standards

Three things get quoted and they are not the same: PAS 24, TS007 and Secured by Design. Knowing which is which stops you paying for the wrong one.

PAS 24

A test of the whole assembly — door leaf, frame, hardware and glazing together — against a defined set of attacks. A door set is PAS 24 as built. Change the cylinder or the frame for something that was not in the test and the certification no longer describes what you have. It is required on new build and on replacement doors in some circumstances.

TS007

A star rating for the cylinder and the handle, aimed squarely at lock snapping. The arithmetic is simple: you need three stars in total.

• A 3-star cylinder on its own, with any handle.
• Or a 1-star cylinder behind a 2-star security handle.

A 1-star cylinder in an ordinary handle gives you one star and no meaningful snap resistance.

Secured by Design

The police-backed accreditation. It generally requires PAS 24 as a baseline and adds further requirements. Some insurers ask for it; some new build schemes require it.

Glazing

Laminated glass is the security glass — it holds together when broken because of the interlayer. Toughened glass is safety glass: it breaks into blunt granules so it does not injure you, but it does not resist entry. On a door out of sight from the road, laminated is worth the money.

What we do as standard

Every door set we supply comes with a multipoint lock and at least a TS007 1-star cylinder. Ask for the 3-star upgrade at order — it is cheap at the point of ordering and irritating to retrofit.