Building Regulations and Planning Permissions
IQ Glass Solutions LTD, Sky House, Raans Road, Amersham, HP6 6FT
Building Regulations and Planning Permissions
As per the UK Building Regulations of 2010 effective since 1st October 2015, windows and doors that are easily accessible are required to adhere to specific security performance standards outlined in Section 1 and 2 of Approved Document Q.
This is to ensure that accessible windows and doors such as those on the ground floor of a given residential property are designed and fitted to resist physical attack by a potential burglar.
This includes systems such as entrance doors, patio doors, and windows.
As of now, Part Q only applies to new build dwellings and does not apply to replacement glazing systems or extensions.
PAS 24, or Product Assessment Specification 24, is the current security standard for easily accessible windows and doors.
A PAS24 certification can only be achieved through a rigorous on-going assessment process for manufacturers to ensure glazing systems are always tested to the highest standards.
While a system can be manufactured to PAS24 compliant specifications, only windows and doors that have been tested can be officially certified as PAS24.
PAS24 is it is often mistaken for Secured By Design (SBD).
Although both PAS24 and Secured by Design are accreditations that test and certify products meeting security standards, they are not the same.
Designed to test that windows and doors can endure break-in methods used by intruders, as aforementioned, PAS 24 can only be obtained after a product has been put through exhaustive testing against high security standards.
On the other hand, Secured by Design is a police security initiative, operated on behalf of the UK Police. It is intended to not only improve the security of homes and their environments and reduce the level of crime, but to also ensure that products will help to keep homeowners safe.
Products have to be first certified by the PAS 24 accreditation before they are to be considered by Secured by Design.
Contact the IQ team today to discuss our PAS 24 certified products for your next project.