IRONMONGERY & SECURITY SAFE AS HOUSES
The past two years have seen a boom in home improvement, so it’s vitally important for homes to have robust security in place to deter burglars, as BMJ finds out.
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ncreased investment in the home since the pandemic has seen millions of people adapting and reconfiguring the rooms of their ‘castles’ to modern needs. However, this must continue to the hardware that goes around the doors and windows of a property too.
That’s according to Tommy Geddes, Commercial Director at George Boyd. With crime rates on the rise and house prices jumping by three and a half per cent during 2022, ensuring trades professionals can speak to their customers about the importance of the most robust combination of locks, latches and bolts is essential.
Geddes says: “While technology has seen a rush of new innovation and products on to the security market, there is no denying the peace of mind that comes with the installation of new security ironmongery. Like any other item, doors, locks, latches and chains all suffer wear and tear and must be replaced every seven years, according to most locksmiths.”
The front door is the main entry point to a home that must be secured so as to offer zero
encouragement to a casual burglar. Three in every four burglaries sees the thief gain access to the building via the front door. “However, when advising a customer about security needs, other external doors and outbuildings such as sheds and garages must also be considered. Depending on the location of the property, a multi-layered approach will usually work best and offer the most robust security,” Geddes adds.
The theory of multi-layered security is built from centuries of expertise in defence and security, stretching all the way back to the mediaeval period and the huge castles and hill forts that dominated the landscape. These massive installations utilised an effective multi- layered approach that included moats, trenches, barricades and large walls to deter intrusion. “For the homeowner in 2022, this translates as a combination of locks, bolts and latches,” Geddes says. “A quarter of break-ins involve lock snapping. The simple act of breaking the lock cylinder to open the door. That’s why, at the heart of good ironmongery security will be a mortice lock. British Standard BS3621
rated mortice locks are what professionals will recommend to customers for front doors. That means they have been tested to withstand drill attacks and bolt attacks for at least five minutes and can withstand being kicked in. Look for those with an anti-pick mechanism, too.! Depending on the location of the property,
FIRE DOOR FAILURE: SPOTTING THE FAULTS Kirk Smith of Allegion UK talks to BMJ about fire door neglect.
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urpose built to compartmentalise fire and smoke, fire doors are a critical element of passive fire protection and exist in practically every building where we work, sleep and live. Day to day we use them without a thought, yet fire doors consist of much more than a simple piece of furniture. Yet, between neglect, misspecification and a misunderstanding of their significance, 75% of fire doors fail to meet the required standard, as has been revealed by the Fire Door Inspection Scheme (FDIS).
When opening or closing a door, our hands instinctively reach out for the handle. Should it be absent, or even loose, it could affect whether a door can be opened in an emergency. Because of this, a handle should always remain installed on a fire door and its screws tight. Bolt-through fixings pass right
through the door and the lock or latch case and will strengthen the installation of handles by preventing the screws from moving or becoming loose. Finally, if the fire door in question is on an escape route, it must open in the direction of travel, without the use of a key. A standard height fire door requires the
installation of three hinges minimum, with intumescent pads fitted. A door standing over 2.2 metres will require four hinges. This will prevent the door from warping in a fire due to its weight. Screws must be fitted securely, and the hinges themselves must be free of metal fragments and oil leakage as this could indicate signs of wear. When it comes to certification, check for CE or BS EN 1935 marks. Hinges may be hidden somewhat, but they can never be overlooked.
To form an effective barrier against fire, a fire door must close fully. Locks and latches help to keep doors held shut and so must be fixed firmly and working correctly. Upon inspection, it’s important to check whether the latch engages fully into the strike plate and whether the door can be held firmly in place without rattling. Failure to do so may indicate
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net December 2022
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