Hardware

UAP PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN

COMPLIANT DOOR PRODUCTION

Expensive and portable tech, car keys, bank cards and even correspondence from which thieves can harvest data are all lucrative reasons for the criminal fraternity to keep developing techniques for breaking into others’ homes.

To help protect home owners and tenants, 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 rigorous testing process that requires the fully-finished door, including all hardware and locks, to withstand attempt to gain access. Builder’s merchants need to be certain that all doors being sold to customers have passed these rigorous tests and UAP is working collaboratively with door manufacturers to help them pass first time, helping them get products to market faster and more cost-effectively. Barry Halpin, sales director at UAP Ltd explains: “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.”

MULTIPLE TESTS

One of the UK door manufacturers that has benefitted from 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 thoroughly tested and certified for fire-rated installations.

Ben Davies, testing compliance manager at PDS comments: “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. “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. 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 both robust door fabrication and the hardware. The test procedures include a manipulation test and a security hardware and cylinder test. 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. 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 Davies Barry Halpin

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, which includes Certifire certified products designed specifically for use in fire doors, along with its Firemongery range of Document Q compliant fire rated hardware.

Barry continues: “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. “Certifire approved TS008 letterplates can be fitted to timber fire doors with no further testing, whereas composite or steel fire doors must be tested as part of a complete door configuration prior to approval of the door’s fire rating. Consequently, timber fire doors and the Certifire approved Soterian TS 008 letterplate are an ideal combination for sale through the builder’s merchant channel.”

GENIUS PVC TRADE FRAMES SEES THE BENEFITS OF WORKING WITH TOTAL HARDWARE

Trade fabricator Genius PVC Trade Frames was founded by industry stalwarts Peter Dyson and David Eagle in 2019. Their hardware partner of choice from the start has been Total Hardware – and it’s a choice both Peter and David are delighted with. Peter commented: “Genius was set up to provide high quality products to our customers so our choice of hardware partner was crucial. We’d worked with Total Hardware in previous businesses so knew from experience what they had to offer. We had no hesitation in partnering with them when we set up Genius.”

Peter highlights several benefits of working with Total Hardware. “They have an impressive breadth and depth of hardware ranges, as well as the quality our customer demographic needs.” Genius purchases Yale doorlocks and shootbolts from Total Hardware as well as Total’s Quantum range of premium hardware. Total’s robust stock levels and next day delivery service also offer benefits. Peter comments: “It’s an offer that is able to support a proactive and ambitious trade business like ours, and it’s proving invaluable as we target growth.” Genius, a national supplier of windows and doors, has adopted an ambitious growth strategy and plans to reach 2,500 frames per week in just a matter of years. Its key points of differentiation are quality, product design and outstanding customer service credentials – an offer that is proving extremely popular. The company has recently taken occupancy of a third 9,000 sq ft manufacturing facility at its headquarters in Norwich to help it keep pace with demand.

Peter comments: “Total Hardware has invested heavily in its business to strengthen its offer, even in the face of supply chain uncertainty. It’s a proactive approach that echoes our own and it’s resulted in an extremely strong partnership.”

He concludes: “We have a great relationship with all the Total Hardware team and we work very much in partnership with them. They certainly add value to our business.”

Tel: 0113 243 2255 www.totalhardwareltd.co.uk

LETTERPLATES SHOULDN’T BE AN AFTERTHOUGHT

Letterplates are a vital piece of door furniture but they are often its weakest link thanks to security and fire safety risks. It’s something that John Crittenden, Managing Director of independent hardware distributor Carl F Groupco, is keen to highlight. “It’s very easy to focus on the aesthetics of a letterplate. They’re important, of course, but it’s vital to remember safety and security too. We have a range of letterplates that tick all the boxes.”

The security risks of letterplates came into focus with the introduction of the Door and Hardware Federation’s TS008: 2015 security standard. All Carl F Groupco’s stocked letterplates meet the requirements of TS008 as a minimum.

The range includes the Yale Postmaster Professional TS008 letterplate, which will fit on any PAS 24 accredited door to meet the requirements of TS008 without the need to retest. It features a telescopic sleeve to suit a variety of composite and PVC-U door thicknesses, ranging from 40mm – 75mm. There’s also a fire rated variant with intumescent material available. When tested as part of a doorset, Yale’s Postmaster Professional TS008 letterplate not only exceeded the FD60 time test by an additional 25%, but also successfully passed the smoke leakage test. Elsewhere in Carl F Groupco’s range, there’s the Soterian Slim TS008 Letterplate, which boasts features that set it apart from other TS008 letterplates on the market – and take it beyond TS008 for the ultimate in security. It features serrated stays, which are foldable to achieve compactness for transit and storage, biased to stay open to aid fitting and serrated to frustrate thumbturn or handle manipulation by strap/cord. Designed for 44mm – 70mm composite, timber and PVC-U doors, installation involves simply eight screws and a hinge rod. Carl F Groupco’s range of letterplates offers everything you’d expect from a company that is approaching 70 years in business. As John concludes: “The devil is always in the detail. We work hard to pay attention to that detail so our customers can have peace of mind that we offer a range of letterplates that meet and exceed high security and fire safety standards.” Tel: 01733 393 330 www.carlfgroupco.co.uk www.smartsecure.co.uk www.carlfdirect.co.uk

Q-SECURE; A TEMPTING CARROT

Hardware expert VBH, the company behind the popular greenteQ range of hardware and furniture, has reported a steep rise in registrations for its Q-secure consumer security guarantee.

Q-secure guarantees the security of windows, doors and patio doors up to a potential £8000 payout, which is paid direct to the end user in the event of a break in through a registered product. Installations must have been carried out by an approved Q-secure installer and registered direct with VBH. VBH advise that registrations in the first quarter of 2022 are 87% up on those in the final 3 months of 2021. Marketing Manager Gary Gleeson says, “A near doubling of registrations is really encouraging and shows that our guarantee is proving a hit with our customers, who find it to be a real help in closing deals. Q-secure Network members have a valuable, but free, extra carrot to dangle now that sales people once again have to work hard to achieve new business.”

VBH help by generating free leads for the Network with advertising and other activities direct to the general public. Gary adds, “We are talking to quite a few potential new customers who are interested in switching to VBH so they can offer Q-secure either direct or through their installer base. We expect to be reporting another big rise after Q2 as more people realise that Q-secure is beneficial to everyone in the supply chain, and just needs to be offered by the salesperson at the sharp end. It’s a no-brainer, really.” Manufacturers and installers interested in joining the Network are advised to contact VBH via the contact form at www.qsecure.co.uk or by emailing VBH direct at info@vbhgb.com.

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