Security glazed doors and screens

What are security glazed doors and screens?

Security glazed doors are complete doorsets, frame, leaf, glass, hinges and locks, built to resist forced entry while still letting people see in and out. They use laminated or anti-bandit glass in heavy aluminium or steel sections, with multi-point locking, and suit shop, office and communal entrances.

Glazed entrances are often the weakest point of a building because a standard shop or office door combines large glass, light framing and a single lock. A security doorset upgrades all of these together: a stiffer frame fixed back into the structure, laminated glass held by internal beads, hinge bolts, and locks that throw into the frame at several points. Many doorsets are tested by their makers to standards such as PAS 24 for enhanced security doors, and the test covers the whole doorset, so it only applies when fitted as tested.

Entrances also have to meet other rules. Exit doors must stay easy to open from inside while people are in the building, so locking is chosen with your fire risk assessment in mind, and accessible thresholds and door closers matter. Doors that are part of a fire compartment need fire-rated doorsets and fire-rated glass, which is a separate specification. We survey the opening, the use of the door and the way it is managed before recommending a doorset.

How much do security glazed doors and screens cost?

Our guide range is £1,495 to £4,995 plus VAT (£1,794 to £5,994 inc VAT) per doorset, supplied and fitted. The exact figure depends on size, glass makeup, frame condition and access, and your fixed price is confirmed in writing after the free survey. See all glass prices.

Specification and options

Heavy aluminium or steel doorsets with side screens
Laminated or anti-bandit glass held by internal beads
Multi-point and hook-bolt locking
Hinge bolts and anti-jemmy features
Panic and emergency exit hardware where required
Door closers, level thresholds and access control provision
Doorsets tested by their makers where a standard is specified
Single, double and sliding configurations

Where security glazed doors and screens are used

Shop and showroom entrances
Office and reception entrances
Communal entrances to blocks of flats
Rear and side doors to service yards
Doors to cash offices and stockrooms

What to decide before you order

Tested doorset or upgrade

Where an insurer, landlord or specifier names a standard, a doorset tested to it by its maker is the route. Otherwise a strong commercial doorset with laminated glass is often enough.

Exit and fire safety

Locking must let people out easily while the building is occupied. We work with your fire risk assessment, and fire doors need fire-rated products.

Access

Level thresholds, closers with the right opening force and clear widths keep the entrance usable for everyone.

Finish and glass

Powder-coated frames to RAL colours and low-iron glass keep entrances looking good.

Rules across the UK

Safety glazing, building regulations, planning and listed building rules differ between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. These are the points most relevant to security glazed doors and screens; local pages show the version for your nation.

England (similar principles apply in Wales, Scotland and NI)

Fire-rated glass is different

Glass in fire doors, fire screens and protected escape routes has to be fire-rated glass tested as part of that door or screen system, under Approved Document B and the fire safety duties of the building's responsible person. Laminated and security glass are not fire-rated unless the product says so. Where a pane needs both fire and security performance, it must be a product tested for both.

Glazing in workplaces

Regulation 14 of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 requires windows and transparent surfaces in walls, partitions, doors and gates to be of safety material or protected against breakage where health or safety makes that necessary, and to be marked so people notice them. The employer or the person in control of the premises decides what is needed through their risk assessment.

Planning permission

Changing the glass in an existing window or shopfront does not usually need planning permission, because the building looks much the same afterwards. A new or altered shopfront, or security features added to the outside of a building, may need planning permission from the council. Bollards or barriers on the pavement need the highway authority's consent, which is normally the council.

How it works

Tell us what needs securing

Use the guide price tool or form, or call. Pane sizes and a few photos help us give a guide figure straight away.

Free survey

A surveyor measures each pane, checks the existing glass, frame and beads, and talks through the rating that suits the risk.

Fixed price in writing

You get a written quote listing each pane, the glass type and class, the price and the lead time. Nothing is ordered until you accept.

Made to measure and fitted

Glass is made to order and fitted by glaziers working under our contract with you, then cleaned, checked and explained.

Security glazed doors and screens: questions

How much does a security glazed door cost?

Security glazed doorsets usually cost from £1,495 to £4,995 plus VAT (£1,794 to £5,994 inc VAT) each supplied and fitted, depending on size, configuration, glass and locking. Side screens and access control are extra. Your fixed price follows a free survey.

What is PAS 24?

PAS 24 is a British test standard for the security of doors and windows. A doorset tested to it has been attacked in a set way in a lab. The test belongs to the manufacturer's product as tested, not to the installer.

Can a security door also be a fire exit?

Yes, with the right hardware. Exit doors must open easily from inside while people are present, so we choose locking and panic hardware to suit your fire arrangements.

Can you just change the glass in my existing door?

Often, if the frame is sound. Laminated glass and internal beads are a good upgrade. If the frame is light or worn, a new doorset is better value.

Do new entrance doors need building regulations approval?

Replacing whole doors is often controlled building work (notifiable in England and Wales; in Scotland and Northern Ireland check with the council's building control), and new entrances may need planning permission. We tell you what applies before ordering.

Are steel doorsets better than aluminium?

Steel is stronger for high-risk doors; aluminium is lighter and suits most shop and office entrances. The glass, locks and fixings matter as much as the frame material.

Find security glazed doors and screens near you

Choose your county or region for local information and the rules that apply where you are.