Commercial properties have more varied and demanding security needs than residential properties. For example, a door in a storefront may need to open dozens of times in a single hour, and in some cases, meet building regulations. Alternatively, a school may have particular security concerns. The considerations for securing a school may be different than a laboratory, for example. This section breaks down some of the more common security needs based on property type and traffic.

Residential Security Doors

As most burglaries happen through an entryway, residents are encouraged to use a quality security door first-line of defense against unwanted entry. Security doors are also a requirement for certain insurance companies.

Commercial Security Doors

Security doors play a greater role in a commercial property due to increased traffic. A security door plays the same role for a commercial property as a first line of defense. More overt protection and security systems are often added beyond a security door. Features may include a secured safety glass window, bullet resistant protection, and optional panic bar control. Security needs are more complex for the public housing sector and may require a higher level of protection.

Public Sector Security Doors

Security needs for

Roller shutters

Roller shutters are excellent for retail outlets, workshops, and warehouses that need a frequent use opening that doesn’t involve a lot of wear-and-tear. Although there are manual shutters that are cheaper and less complicated, electric shutters, while more expensive, can be time-saving in a situation where staff have to open and close the shutters frequently through the day.

Fire-rated doors

Wherever there is a legal requirement for a fire-rated door, it holds sway over all other criteria. A security door that is not fire-rated is not an acceptable substitute. Fire-rated doors should be incorporated during the planning of a commercial fit out because it is more disruptive to add a fire door later.

High-security entry doors

Where significant inventory, cash, or machinery needs to be secured, high-security entry doors quickly pay for themselves. When compared to standard doors, composite and steel doors offer resistance to being forced open, and they are likely to be paired with an access control system as opposed to a lock.

Loading bay and industrial doors

The issue at a lot of warehouses and distribution centers is the size of the opening. Standard door security doesn’t apply in the same way due to the large size of the openings. Industrial doors have to balance the need for vehicular access with the same resistance to forced entry as any other external door, which usually means bigger and stronger shutters or sectional doors designed for the particular opening size and duties.

Access-controlled entry doors

The administration of access control systems, either keypad or fob, becomes more cost-effective and convenient than management of keys, when there are more than a handful of staff, and keeps a record of the personnel for the duration of the working day, which is useful for subsequent investigations.

Door security ratings and standards

PAS 24 and LPS 1175 are the two ratings that matter. PAS 24 covers the security performance of doors and windows. LPS 1175 extends this further, relating to the type of tools and the time period over which an attack is sustained against the door, and is scored in levels. Higher-risk commercial developments tend to specify LPS 1175 over a reliance on PAS 24.

Security doors vs shutters vs grilles

While the three are sometimes grouped together, it’s important to note that they are quite different. Shutters are good for the secure sealed closure of a shopfront at night. Grilles allow both ventilation and visibility, as opposed to complete blocking of a shop front with a shutter and are better for certain retail settings. A security door is the right choice when the opening is, in fact, an entry point and not a complete shop front.

Generally a combination needs to be used on most commercial sites. For example, on a typical shop front a shutter is used, access control is added to a staff entrance, and a fire-rated internal door is incorporated.