Guidance documents relating to doors, windows and their hardware have been released thick and fast of late.

These include a new BSI Kitemark for Building Hardware used in Windows and Doorsets and a joint publication focusing on apartment entrance doorsets, which has followed in the wake of the 2017 Grenfell Tower tragedy.

The latter, with the rather long title of ‘A Guide for Selecting Flat Entrance Doorsets; A publication for housing associations, landlords, building owners and local authorities in England’, is specifically a response to the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Governments’ (MHCLG) Implementation Plan – ‘Building a Safer Future’, which was released at the end of December 2018.

This document, which was launched only in March this year, recommends that all fire doorsets are factory-prepared (as opposed to prepared on-site), including seals and hardware, and furthermore, audited by a third-party.

It is suggested these recommendations will offer greater assurance on door performance and protect occupants, control the spread of fire and enable safer, easier escape in the event of an incident.

The fact this has been released is testament to the hard work of many groups and people, including the British Woodworking Federation (BWF) and the Fire Door Alliance. Some three million third party certificated fire doors are produced by BWF members in the UK each year.

The guide, which will assist housing associations, landlords, building owners and local authorities, has been published by the Door & Hardware Federation (DHF), Secured by Design (SBD) and the Fire Industry Association (FIA).

Importantly, the publication says there is no conflict between fire and security with Building Regulations ADB (fire) and ADQ (security) carrying equal weight, with neither taking precedence over the other. It explains why only factory-produced doorsets can meet both ADB and ADQ.

“It seemed a natural partnership to come together and offer guidance on what to look for in a flat entrance doorset, how this relates to the latest advice supplied by government (MHCLG) and why third-party certification of fire and security doorset manufacture, installation and maintenance is a critical part of the protection against fire ingress and unlawful entry,” said DHF chief executive officer, Bob Perry.

FIA’s chief executive officer Ian Moore, said that although the document was specific to England and Wales, it was also equally useful information for Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Chief operating officer of Secured by Design, Jon Cole, emphasised how important it is for the three organisations to work together to provide a holistic overview.

“Third party certification, by suitably qualified bodies, has certainly delivered consistency and quality within the security sector,” said Mr Cole.

“This is why we have campaigned for flat entrance doorsets to have dual certification, meeting all the relevant requirements for security and fire resistance in a single combined design specification.

“We believe that certification remains the best and only way to assure that effective quality products are delivered to market, providing additional assurance of performance,” added Mr Cole.

New kitemark

Another even newer announcement comes from the BSI, which has launched a new Kitemark for Building Hardware used in Windows and Doorsets. The BSI was at the FIT Show in May to promote the Kitemark.

Its move comes as the fenestration market continues to evolve and diversify, with it becoming increasingly important that hardware suppliers prove their products meet industry recognised standards, such as the performance characteristics of the BS 6375 series of standards and the enhanced security requirements of PAS 24: 2016 as part of a system or finished product.

This Kitemark has been developed to provide assurance to fenestration manufacturers that the hardware that is supplied for use on their products has been rigorously tested and will perform as it should when in place on the window or doorset.

“Since the inception of Approved Document Q, many hardware suppliers are investing in performance testing of their products on completed windows and doorsets,” said Andy Butterfield, product certification director of built environment at the BSI.

“Not only will this provide the fenestration supply chain and users of the product with reassurance that the product is safe and reliable, it will enable hardware suppliers to differentiate themselves from other organisations with non-assured products. ”

To achieve the BSI Kitemark, organisations are required to be independently assessed at BSI’s Centre of Excellence in Hemel Hempstead against standards covering corrosion resistance, weather tightness, operation and strength, plus additional performance.

Guide for push button locksets

The DHF has also released a new best practice guide for the locks and building hardware industry covering the British Standard for Mechanically Operated Push-Button Locksets (BS 8607:2014 + A1:2016). The Standard sets out the requirements and test methods for durability, strength and also functionality.

Classification of the Mechanically Operated Push-Button locksets is in five grades. Products tested to BS 8607 incorporate specific performance grades from BS EN 12209 for mechanically operated locks, latches and locking plates, and also requirements of BS EN 1906, BS 3621, PAS 24 and for the overriding cylinder, where applicable, BS EN 1303. A BSI Kitemark certification scheme is available for products achieving grade 5.

The British Standard includes requirements for locksets intended for use on fire-resisting and smoke control doors but does not specify requirements for locksets intended for use on final exit doors on escape routes. The standard also will test the performance of the levers/knobs as well as keypad durability.

“These products are generally used as a means of convenience, but they are now also used on fire doors and perimeter doors and the standard is available to give specifiers guidance on the performance of these types of products,” said DHF’s Bob Perry.

“Locksets should not only have acceptable documentary evidence to demonstrate that they are fit-for-purpose on any smoke and/or fire-resisting doors for which they are intended but must be correctly installed.”

Secured by Design said the code was valuable in guiding users and specifiers in an area that could be confusing for many.

Hardware product news

In terms of product news in the hardware arena, hand forged architectural ironmongery expert Stonebridge is improving its range with two new all-weather finishes – new Armor-Coat flat black and satin steel, certified to BS EN 1670:2007 Grade 5, the highest possible standard.

The test requires products to be exposed to a neutral salt spray under controlled laboratory conditions for 480 hours to demonstrate high corrosion resistance and perform in exceptionally severe conditions.

The Armor-Coat finish is also designed to be highly UV rated and resistant, to protect from fading in sunlight or harsh weather. Product testing has also demonstrated suitability for use with Accoya modified wood, including colour-matched stainless steel fittings.

“These results back up our ‘fit and forget’ philosophy, meaning joiners don’t have to worry about being called back to refit corroded hardware, ” said Ian Smith, design and brand manager at DJH Group, owners of the Stonebridge brand.

Coastal Specialist Ironmongery Ltd says hardware corrosion is a big issue for both joinery firms and door and window manufacturers across the UK, adding that more than 80% of the UK is exposed to high atmospheric corrosion.

It has launched a Hardware Longevity Kit to fight back against corrosion. This consists of a range of specialist solutions and lubricants designed to keep hardware looking better for longer.

Several hardware suppliers are currently making a special effort to promote stainless steel products, arguing that if significant time and energy goes into manufacturing a beautiful entrance door, it makes good sense to fit them with equally attractive and enduring hardware.

Fitting hotchpotch hardware from different manufacturers with slightly different designs and finishes runs a greater risk of compromising on looks, they argue.

Hardware manufacturer blu has launched a suite of 316 Marine Grade Stainless Steel hardware, including round bar pull handles, square bar pull handles, cylinder pulls, escutcheons, and letter plates.

Blu says the letter plate has achieved best in class results against the new BS EN Air Permeability, Water Tightness and Wind Resistance tests.

“In proportion to the overall cost of the door, the cost of the hardware is only a very small percentage but plays a very big part in the customer’s perception of the door and the impression conveyed,” said blu managing director Loren Jenner.

VBH Products has a new rollfold brochure showcasing the wide choice of finishes available across its greenteQ range, including the new matt-brushed stainless-steel pull handles range which comes with a 25-year guarantee.