Document Q guidance for house builders
House builders and developers are increasingly using guidance from building hardware and security professionals to ensure they are meeting the security requirements of homes under construction, according to the DHF (Door & Hardware Federation).
Approved Document Q (ADQ) of the Building Regulations requires that doors and windows must be capable of resisting attack by a casual or opportunist burglar by being both sufficiently robust and fitted with appropriate hardware.
The DHF has produced a Best Practice Guide to ADQ, which contains advice on how the requirements can be met and how the security performance of doors and windows can be verified.
House builders will need to present evidence of ADQ compliance to building control officers so they can check and assess this in order to determine whether the installed doorsets and door and window hardware comply with the quoted standards.
Both the DHF and Secured by Design recommend that independent third party certification of door and window hardware from a UKAS-accredited certification authority makes the process considerably easier for the house builder. Such certification offers the assurance that the installed products will meet ADQ.