What is a door tested to PAS24 and how is it tested?
When choosing a front door or flat entrance doorset, safety is an important consideration. This includes not only fire ratings where applicable but also security performance to ensure your entrance door is secure and meets the requirements in England and Wales for security as detailed in Approved document Q: Security- Dwellings. This approved document gives practical guidance on how to meet the requirements of the building regulations in England and Wales. There is a presumption of compliance following the guidance however compliance is not guaranteed. Also there is no obligation to follow this guidance and other ways of meeting the requirements can be used to satisfy building control.
What is a door tested to PAS24
A door that has been tested to publicly available specification published by BSI that provides a method for testing and assessing the enhanced security performance requirements of doorsets and window types intended to resist the levels and methods of attack experienced in the UK and normally associated with the casual or opportunist burglar.
How are doors tested to PAS24?
PAS24 doors are tested on a set criteria:
Annexe A
The doors subjected the security hardware and cylinder test and assessment to determine if they can resist attacks using 3 set toolboxes of specified tools commonly used by opportunist burglars. If entry is gained the doorset has failed. Each of the activities follows a set of predefined requirements for duration of attack from what would be the exterior side of the door. The activities include limitations on attack time and rest time which allow the tester to change tools and rethink the attack method for maximum opportunity for success. The method is spilt into a number of parts to test the door and its ironmongery as a system rather than any item itself in isolation. The methods and the tools in the toolboxes are periodically reviewed as new successful methods of attack are discovered so the standard remains current.
Annex B
The objective of this annex is assess the ability of the doorset to resist mechanical loading. Again it is deemed to have failed if entry is gained.
The tests consist of a series of soft and hard body pendulum style impact tests, cutting attack tests and mechanical load tests. All designed to test the doorsets ability resist entry from applied forces. A series of manipulation attacks are also carried out to try and disengage or disassemble ironmongery and gain entry. Tests to try and remove infills or weaken the door to enable entry are also included in this annexe. There is also a manual check test to explore any other vulnerabilities that can be exploited that are not covered by the standard loading cases. This is conducted with full knowledge of the samples construction.
The PAS24 test is considered to be a current and effective way to meet requirements of building regulations in England and Wales.
Do PAS24 doors need to be fire rated?
No, PAS24 doors do not need to be fire rated however frequently Fire rated doors will also need to be security doors as well to meet building regulations and approved document Q requirements. PAS24 is commonly accepted as are other testing standards detailed in ABD Q section 1.2. Currently, both BS and EN standards are acceptable test evidence and certification for fire resistance performance but building regulations will only recognise EN classification from the 2nd of September 2029.
Where are PAS24 doors used?
PAS24 doorsets are typically used for front doors or entrance doors, for residential buildings. PAS24 doors should be used where enhanced security is required, such as a flat entrance door or residential front door.
Building regulations
Building regulations in England state that all newly built properties and material change of use of properties to dwellings, will require their easily accessible doorsets tested and certified for enhanced security with PAS 24 being a commonly accepted standard. Currently, this does not mean that any front or entrance doors that are not PAS24 rated will have to be replaced, but any residential developers will need to source PAS24 entrance doors for their current and future projects.
Conclusion
The building regulations in England require any easily accessible door giving access to a dwelling to meet enhanced security requirements, so this is a vital consideration for developers when sourcing front and entrance doorsets for their projects. At Modulo Doorsets, we specialise in dual certified PAS24 enhanced security and fire rated timber doorsets, which are supplied pre-hung to ensure a simple install.
All our timber doorsets are available with our telescopic architrave, which allows for a 15mm adjustable architrave on-site, should the wall thickness change. We understand the importance of reducing the risk of change and speed of installation for developers.
If you have any questions on PAS24 doors, what certifications you need, or sourcing compliant doorsets for your project, then speak to one of our team today.