Surpassing stringent security standards

With the news that the WarmCore Inline Patio Door has passed PAS 24:2016 security testing, Head of Research & Development Phil Parry talks about the importance of these stringent standards

PAS 24 is the UK benchmark for security testing and is one of the first things specifiers, fabricators and installers look for when choosing their product ranges. As homeowners become more aware of Secured by Design as a security scheme, it’s becoming more important than ever for suppliers to design products which will meet the latest PAS 24:2016 requirements. At the end of 2017, our new WarmCore Inline Patio Door was successfully tested to meet PAS 24:2016 requirements, meaning we now offer a complete suite of secure aluminium products including bi-folds and a full range of windows. When we set out to design WarmCore, security was one of our top priorities – alongside thermal performance and ease of fabrication. We consider these to be the three core criteria our customers are looking for in an aluminium product, particularly when choosing to specify aluminium instead of PVC-U.

Secure as standard – Of course there are a range of PAS 24 compliant patio doors available on the market, but from the outset we wanted to ensure that the WarmCore Inline Patio Door met PAS 24 requirements as standard. This may be a novel idea to many fabricators and installers, who have grown accustomed to paying more for additional hardware or plunge bolts in order for the product to be PAS 24 compliant. With WarmCore, however, there’s no need for any alterations. The standard specification includes a bespoke bi-directional lock developed with ILH which is secure to PAS 24 standards when locked not only internally, but externally too. This is an important specification consideration often overlooked, which is crucial when considering a patio door slider for annex buildings and garden rooms which are often only locked externally. This opens up new opportunities for installers as more homeowners look to extend their properties to add value.

We believe we have the only patio door on the market which meets this criterion – giving our customers a unique selling point against their competitors in the marketplace. For savvy homeowners who understand the importance of Secured by Design, this added benefit will certainly catch their attention. Attempted break in – At the end of last year, we heard from a WarmCore customer, SBS (Cumbria), that one of their homeowners has had an attempted break in. The burglar tried to access the property through the WarmCore windows and doors and simply couldn’t get in – which is a great example to support the standards set by PAS 24, but also a great anecdote for our fabricator and installer customers to add substance to the claims they make about the security of our products. Sometimes it takes a real life experience to really appreciate the value of SBD-approved products, and the homeowners in this circumstance will certainly appreciate the precision engineering behind WarmCore which makes it such a security-focused product – and be glad they chose the recommended glass specification.

Number one priority – From the work we do with housebuilders, we are fully aware that the first question they ask about a new products is, “Does it come with Secured by Design approval?” Homeowner preferences are dictating the marketplace, and they are looking out for these seals of approval not only for retrofit applications but when purchasing for the first time too. As security becomes a pressing concern for homeowners, this knock-on effect is going to make it the number one priority further up the supply chain, so we will continue to ensure our products are designed and produced with the highest standards in mind to meet this demand.