Security Steel Doorsets

Samson Doors offers one of the widest ranges of made to measure security steel doorsets available in the UK. All doorsets are supplied as fully assembled units with door leaf, frame, hinges, locks and hardware pre fitted at the factory for easier installation on site. Every doorset is manufactured to suit the opening sizes and application, with options that range from heavy duty but non certified doors through to independently tested and rated high security doorsets.

Security Doors vs Certified Security Doors

The word “security” is used very loosely in the door industry. Many products are simply sold as “security steel doors” because they have a slightly better lock case or multipoint locking strip than a basic door, but there is no proof of performance. A true security steel doorset is designed as a physical barrier that is harder to force, more resistant to attack techniques and better able to hold its shape when abused. It is often designed and built specifically for the client and their needs on site, whether that is a specific style or odd size or with specific attention paid to reinforcement based on the perceived attacks that might occur. These doors can often be a higher security than certified doors but they are simply not tested.

A certified security doorset goes one step further. These doors are tested by independent third party laboratories under recognised schemes such as LPS 1175, STS 202, PAS 24 or EN 1627. Tools, attack methods and time periods are clearly defined and the door either passes or fails. Certified doors are commonly required by insurers, police backed schemes and high risk sites where security performance must be demonstrated and documented.

This page focuses on the general category of security steel doorsets, including both non certified and certified options. If you specifically need rated and accredited doors, you can jump to our dedicated Certified Steel Security Doorsets page for more detail on LPS 1175, STS 202, PAS 24 and European RC ratings.

These doors are manufactured with upgraded components and features compared to a basic steel doorset. Typical enhancements include:

• Heavier gauge steel skins for the door leaf, using thicker galvanised steel than entry level doors, to provide greater resistance to impact and forced attack.
• Protected handle and cylinder positions, with shields or escutcheons that make it harder to attack the locking points directly.
• Astragal or anti jemmy flanges on the leading edge of the door leaf, which cover the gap between the door and frame so that jemmy bars and screwdrivers cannot easily be inserted to lever the door.
• Deadbolt or hookbolt locks, often with multiple locking points, instead of a single latch and deadbolt arrangement.
• Dog bolt hinges or security hinge designs that resist attacks on the hinge side if the pins are cut or the leaf is levered.
• Higher quality, anti bump cylinders designed to resist common lock snapping and bumping attacks.
• Heavy duty steel box section frames that resist twisting, spreading and pulling during a break in attempt.

Although these doors are not rated under a named security standard, they offer a higher level of resistance than a basic commodity steel door. In some cases they may actually be stronger than lower level certified doors, but because they are not formally tested they should not be described using rating codes such as SR2 or BR3.

If your project requires certified and accredited doors, you should specify from the rated ranges instead. For all other security focused applications these enhanced steel doorsets are a very cost effective and practical solution.

The weakness is not the number of bolts. It is the way they are controlled. If all those locking points are operated by a single, low quality euro cylinder which can be easily snapped, drilled or bumped from outside, then the door is no more secure than that cylinder. Once the cylinder has been compromised, the multipoint mechanism can be retracted and the door opened.

The best security steel doorsets balance a sensible number of locking points, usually between three and five, with a strong door and frame construction, good hinge design and a high security rated locking cylinder and handle set. It is the combined specification that matters, not a single headline feature.

When is a non certified security steel door suitable?

A well designed, non certified security doorset is often appropriate in the following situations:

• Plant rooms and utility rooms located within a secure compound
• Internal rooms in commercial buildings such as stores, server rooms, communication cupboards and cash offices
• Back of house areas in shops where there is already a monitored alarm and CCTV system
• Bin stores and service yards where the risk of sustained, noisy attack is relatively low
• Residential or small commercial properties that want improved security, but do not have a formal insurer requirement for a rated door

In these cases specifying the right door thickness, lock type, cylinder grade and hinge and frame design can provide a strong upgrade over a standard door without the additional cost and lead times that come with certified products.

Samson Doors offers a wide range of certified steel doorsets from leading manufacturers including our own SecurGuard and Xtreme ranges, together with specialist products from partners in the UK and Europe. These cover LPS 1175 SR2 to SR4, STS 202 burglary resistance ratings, PAS 24 doors for residential and mixed use sites and European RC rated doorsets.

For full details on ratings, standards and the specific SecurGuard and SecurGuard+ ranges, please see our dedicated Certified Steel Security Doorsets page.