Residential security doors

Residential security doors are high-security front doors for homes, tested to LPS 1175. They suit houses where the risk assessment goes beyond a standard composite door: high-value homes, rural properties and houses with a specific threat. ArxBridge supplies and installs them across the UK. They are the domestic offering in the security range.

• LPS 1175Forced entry ratings for homes
• SR2 and SR3Common rating choices
• Steel front doorsSupplied with test evidence
• PAS 24A lower tier than LPS 1175

What residential security doors are

A residential security door is a steel doorset built for a house entrance and tested to LPS 1175 for forced entry. It looks like a front door and performs like a commercial security door: multi-point locking, a reinforced frame anchored into the wall, and hardware that resists drilling, picking and snapping.

The step up from a standard door is significant. PAS 24 is the enhanced security standard for residential doors and windows, and it sits at a lower threat level than LPS 1175. An SR2 doorset is tested against a harder attack for longer; SR3 harder still. The LPS 1175 guide sets out the ratings.

Specify LPS 1175, not just “secure”. Words like secure and heavy duty mean nothing on their own. The rating code, SR2 (B3) or SR3 (C5), is what the door is actually tested to.

Choosing the right rating for residential security doors

Most residential specifications land on SR2: a genuine tested rating without the weight and cost of SR3. SR3 suits houses holding high-value collections, home offices with sensitive material, or properties named in a threat assessment. Your insurer or security consultant will usually name the level.

How residential security doors are built

The leaf is a steel shell with a domestic finish: powder coating in a residential colour range, panel mouldings or a timber-effect finish where the street scene demands it. Inside, the construction is pure security doorset: reinforcement at the lock and hinges, a deep steel frame, and fixings anchored into the masonry.

Locking is multi-point with a high-security cylinder protected against drilling, snapping and picking. Hinges are anti-lift and rated for the leaf. The threshold is a security threshold, not a standard draught strip, and the frame-to-wall junction is sealed and anchored as part of the tested assembly. Glazed fanlights or side panels use attack-rated glass where the design includes them.

Pairing residential security doors with other ratings

Fire ratings apply where the front door sits on a compartment line, as in some flats and maisonettes: the doorset is tested to EN 1634-1 and LPS 1175 together (see fire and security doors). Where the threat includes firearms, residential protection scales to ballistic ratings for the doors, windows and facade (see residential ballistic security). Blast protection for high-risk homes is a separate discipline (see residential blast protection).

Each combination is its own tested assembly. State every rating at quote stage.

Where residential security doors are used

High-value houses use SR2 and SR3 front doors as the first line of the home’s physical security (see residential and housing). Rural properties, where response times are longer, choose rated doors for the delay they buy. Homes with a public profile or a specific threat use them on front, back and side doors alike, so the rating is consistent around the whole ground floor. See also government and defence for staff protection contexts.

What sets the cost and lead time for residential security doors

The rating is the first factor: SR3 uses heavier construction than SR2. Size follows, with double doors and oversized leaves costing more. Finish is prominent on a house: standard powder coat, wood-effect, or a bespoke colour each programme differently. Glazing adds attack-rated glass units.

Hardware choices, such as smart locks integrated with the home’s access, add supply and commissioning time. The existing opening matters too: replacing a door in old masonry can need making-good that a new-build opening does not. Installation is usually a day’s work per door once the doorset is made. No prices are published; the quote follows the survey.

How to specify a residential security door

1. Name the rating. SR2 (B3) or SR3 (C5) to LPS 1175, written into the order.
2. Choose the finish. Colour, panel style and glazing to suit the house.
3. Set the locking. Cylinder standard, multi-point lock, and any smart or keyed-alike needs.
4. Survey the opening. Structural size, wall construction and threshold detail.
5. Confirm the evidence. Third-party test evidence for the exact doorset before manufacture.