Door Cylinders: British Standard TS007 Explained

21 March 2022

Knowing your home is secure adds peace of mind to you and your family. And it's important to know what steps you can take to ensure your home has maximum security, allowing you to sleep sound at night. At SDH, we believe this starts with the door cylinder you choose, and with various options on the market, it can be confusing for you to decide which one is the most secure and suitable choice for your door. That's why we've gathered the important information you need to know when deciding which Door Cylinder is right for your home.

Did you know that over 40% of burglaries in England and Wales involve a forced door?

TS007 was introduced to increase the security of front entrance doors. The standard was introduced as a collective industry response to growing concerns that an increasing number of homes are under threat from burglars learning new attack methods specifically targeting cylinders used in locks.

Door cylinders and security hardware must now meet the British Standard TS007 with a star rating system. Cylinders will now be classified as one-star and three-star, and door security hardware such as door handles can attain two stars.

The Standard TS007 aims to protect cylinder locks against all known methods of forced entry, including picking, manipulation, bumping, and snapping, and sets out to provide a way to upgrade the cylinder security of your door.

Any door set is required to reach the 3 Star rating when going for a PAS 24 security door test. So how do we meet this standard in the joinery industry, there are two ways, but we feel at SDH there is only one applicable to the joinery industry.

The TS007 specification dictates that to achieve the level of security required to resist known attack methods, a minimum requirement of three stars is required. This can be achieved in two ways:

One-star cylinder and two-star hardware (e.g. door handle)
Three-star cylinder only

Cylinder solutions that have successfully met the requirements of this standard will be marked in accordance with a star rating scheme, with a cumulative total of three stars being necessary to provide complete security. Any cylinders that do not have this mark do not meet this rating regardless of any supporting literature.

So what's the difference between 1 Star and 3 Star Door Cylinders?

1 Star Cylinders

1-Star Kitemarked cylinders cannot alone meet the 3-Stars required; alongside this cylinder, you will need to fit 2-Star approved door furniture, such as a security handle or a cylinder guard (escutcheon).

To achieve the 3-Stars required to meet the standard, a 2-Star product must be used in conjunction with this cylinder and must come with the BSI logo and 2-Star rating.

The downside of 1-Star cylinders is that the range of finishes and styles of 2-Star furniture such as handles are limited, so they aren't pushed into the joinery industry where aesthetics are very important.

3 Star Cylinders

3-Star Cylinders successfully meet all the British Standard requirements including bumping and snapping, allowing you to choose any door handle design. One thing to be aware of is that these cylinders can achieve the standard one year but fail the following year due to being audit tested. Please make sure you ask your supplier for documentation that the cylinder you are purchasing has the current 3-star rating.

3-Star Kitemarked cylinders pass both tests, proving to withstand five types of attack; drilling, picking, bumping, snapping, and plug extraction.

So whether you're replacing your entire door set or looking to replace the cylinders in your home, we have a few 3-star cylinders options to choose from including key to key or thumb turn options. Please enquire with our sales team for help and guidance if you are unsure on which is suitable to you.

Browse our range of competitively priced Door Cylinders and if you're stuck on what size to order or how to fit a door cylinder you can watch our quick step-by-step video guides.

For any queries regarding door cylinders, please contact our sales team who will be happy to assist you with your enquiry.