How PAS 24 Testing is Breaking New Ground
PAS 24 accreditation has long been recognised as the benchmark for security excellence, but it has traditionally been challenging to achieve for heritage sliding sash windows. Thanks to a unique industry collaboration involving ERA and its UKAS accredited test house, that’s no longer the case. Cheryl Varley, Key Account Manager from ERA tells us more.
In the years since its introduction in 1999, there have been regular changes to the PAS 24 standard to ensure it encompasses developments in modern technology and new methods of attack used by criminals to gain unauthorised access to properties.
PAS 24 accreditation is awarded on the performance of the overall window or doorset, with specific elements undergoing testing as part of the assessment process, such as hardware and glass.
Why is PAS 24 accreditation important?
As of 2015, Approved Document Q of England and Wales’ Building Regulations, which is concerned with security in new dwellings, states that all new build properties should be able to “resist unauthorised access to any dwelling; and any part of a building from which access can be gained to a flat within the building”. Therefore, doorsets and windows used in new builds must adhere to PAS 24:2022 or an equivalent standard.
It is also important when aiming to achieve other respected industry accreditations, such as Secured by Design (SBD); the official police security scheme that aims to improve building security through its Police Preferred Specification accreditation, which recognises products that can deter and reduce criminal activity.
To achieve an SBD accreditation, it is essential that doors and windows have been certified to the PAS 24:2022 standard.
How is a window tested to PAS 24?
Specific tests are carried out as part of PAS 24. For windows, this includes a glazing test, mechanical load test, manual attack test and a weather resistance test. The PAS 24 test for doorsets includes all of these tests aside from the glazing test, with the addition of a solid impact test and a hard impact test.
ERA and PAS 24:2022 testing
Based at its West Midlands head office, ERA’s independent UKAS accredited test house is fully equipped to test windows and doors to a range of latest industry standards. Its team of experienced engineers can test a variety of casement and sash windows, and single and double doors to British Standards, providing window and door manufacturers with an indicative or full UKAS accredited report, depending on their requirements.
As part of this, the test house is approved to test windows and doorsets to PAS 24:2022, and many customers have utilised the test house to demonstrate their windows or doorsets security and weather resistance, in line with the standard.
A case in point: Accoya® heritage sliding sash window
The ERA test house was home to an industry-first test success in November 2024, when, as part of a consortium of stakeholders including Midland Joinery and SD Hardware, it supported Accsys in the testing of its Accoya® heritage sliding sash window to the PAS 24:2022 standard.
The window, featuring slimline glazing bars and a 44mm thick sash, is the first of its kind to meet the requirements of the standard. Developed in partnership with Midland Joinery and SD Hardware, the window withstands the newest methods of attack used by criminals including barging, kicking, prising and manipulation with common hand tools, which are replicated during the PAS 24:2022 test.
An industry-first
The certification of the Accoya® heritage sliding sash window is the result of a unique partnership and the shared expertise of each specialist involved in the making of an ultra-reliable and secure window.
This includes the timber supplier Accsys, the hardware manufacturer ERA, the hardware supplier SD Hardware, and the joiner, Midland Joinery.
The innovative window design is made with Accoya ® which is a famously high quality, rot-resistant timber. Tested in many different environments all over the world, with many of those conducted in real life conditions over multiple years, this type of timber offers unprecedented reliability. It is trusted to not visibly swell, shrink, or distort, and is highly durable in any climate.
The window also features high performance hardware, engineered by ERA, including a High Security Classic Cam Lock, which was designed to offer premium security for vertical sliding windows. Its combination of six fixing points, a stainless steel keep faceplate and a forged cam provide increased resistance to physical attack.
In addition, the window uses ERA’s trusted and durable Sash Lifts and Constant Force Balances, all supplied by SD Hardware, a sash and door hardware specialist, based in Cornwall.
Mike Lewis, Technical Sales Manager at Accoya UK and Ireland, comments:
"We’re thrilled that our Accoya sliding sash window has successfully passed this rigorous security test. Thanks to Accsys, Midland Joinery, SD Hardware and ERA, homeowners will know that their homes are equipped with some of the most secure timber windows available on the market.”
As standards and certifications like PAS 24 continue to evolve and become more stringent, it’s more important than ever for window and door manufacturers to collaborate with experienced supply chain partners which can support and add value in this area.
This groundbreaking heritage window test success is a strong example of how the right supply chain partners with industry-leading technical expertise and facilities can help window and door manufacturers to achieve compliance, meet customer expectations and maximise sales opportunities.
To learn more: Visit Accoya
For further information about ERA, please visit www.eraeverywhere.com
