The UK’s first timber heritage sliding sash window gains PAS 24:2022 accreditation

18 February 2025

SDH is proud to announce a huge milestone in the timber window and door industry, with the successful development of the first-ever sliding sash window made with Accoya and designed to meet the rigorous PAS 24: 2022 standards. This achievement was made possible through a strong collaboration with SDH, Accoya, ERA, and Midland Joinery Services.

SDH has invested a significant amount of time and money into bringing this together, so that as a collective we can provide the industry with a FREE simple-to-use solution to Part Q. Something we believe has been needed for some time.

While other companies offer routes to comply with Part Q, which are valid and worthy, below we'll point out why we think our particular route will ultimately prevail. First of all, our testing is to the 2022 standards, ensuring it will be relevant for years to come. Some of the other “schemes” are still valid, but tested to the 2012 standards, which is less comprehensive and will soon not be legal. Please find a link hereto the differences between each of the tests.

Most other schemes out there will charge you a fee for each window or door type, usually from £150 per category, this could add up to several hundred pounds just for the license. We also strongly believe that if you are being charged a license fee, then you and your products should be audited in some way.

We will not be charging any fee whatsoever, for cascading this test to you. We will provide all the literature that you need to send on to your customers, Developers, and building control when required. This is to aid you the Joiner in answering all the questions required for Part Q, in a simple and clear format. The products we have used in these tests are also very competitively priced, so again saving you money.

The PartQ testing that we've been working on with Accoya, ERA, and Midland Joinery Services will form part of what we're calling 'The PartQ Blueprint'. This will incorporate a document informing joiners of the required timber sections and accompanying hardware used in these tests. Ensuring you're meeting the requirements of PAS 24:2022.

An important consideration when choosing how you comply with Part Q is that it will also be a requirement for refurbishment work in the future. So that will effectively mean that all windows and door manufactured will have to comply with Part Q, this is due to happen within the next year or so.

The PAS 24: 2022 standard is a demanding benchmark, assessing the enhanced security performance of windows and doors by simulating an attempted break-in using tools that an opportunistic burglar could easily conceal. This includes a series of tests such as mechanical load testing, manual attack testing, and impact testing to identify potential weaknesses in the product. This innovative design passed these critical tests, which were carried out at ERA’s independent, UKAS-accredited testing facility in Wolverhampton.

Statistics provided by the police force have highlighted that in domestic burglaries, 30% of all opportunist offenders gained entry through a window. Therefore, there was a need to improve the security of dwellings. The innovative design of the Accoya sliding sash window includes high-performance ERA Cam Locks, Finger Pulls, and Sash Window Screw Locks.

Cheryl Varley, Account Manager at ERA says “It’s wonderful to see all stakeholders working together to achieve this important accolade. The independent UKAS test house housed within the ERA facility is a valuable resource for our customers. The test engineers really put windows through their paces to give consumers peace of mind.”

Mike Lewis, Technical Sales Manager for Accoya UK and Ireland commented, "We’re thrilled that an Accoya sliding sash window, replicating a traditional and historical design, has successfully passed this rigorous security test. Thanks to 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.”

Tim Heeley at Midland Joinery states, “We’re passionate about delivering top-quality joinery and making sure our customers are completely satisfied. It’s been a privilege to be a part of the development and testing of our Accoya range of heritage sliding sash windows that have achieved PAS 24 accreditation. This recognition gives our customers the confidence in knowing their windows meet the highest safety standards.”

Gary Ewings at SD Hardware said, "We are dedicated to supplying hardware that meets the highest standards to the joinery industry. Bringing this project together along with Accoya, ERA, and Midland Joinery, to achieve PAS24 2022 in a sliding sash window is bringing down the boundaries for every joinery to comply with Part Q. Something we believe the industry has needed for some time—the first sash window to pass using Accoya is great news for everyone in the joinery industry.”

* Overview of burglary and other household theft - Office for National Statistics

More to come on this throughout 2025!