Paul La Vigne | |
If you’ve landed a project that calls for bulletproof doors, your client has almost certainly said some variation of, “I want the most security I can afford.”
That’s a tall order disguised as a simple request! It’s hard for an architect to even know where to start.
At Total Security Solutions, we have decades of experience helping architects design physical security solutions for buildings of all types. That starts with asking the right question. Here are the top six questions architects should ask when they need to specify bullet-resistant doors for a project.
1. What’s the right protection level?
Ballistic materials and components, including bullet-resistant doors, are categorized according to the UL-752 Standard for Bullet Resisting Equipment.
Each UL level corresponds to a minimum performance level. For example, a Level 3 door will stop at least three shots from a .44 Magnum pistol. In the real world, high quality bullet-resistant components will often outperform their rating, but will never underperform it.
Additionally:
- UL Levels 1- 3 cover handguns
- Levels 4- 5 will stop single shots from high-powered rifles
- Levels 6 - 8 block bursts of bullets from rifles and submachine guns
- Level 8 is rarely used, except in federal facilities
In most cases, when clients ask for the “best” balance of security and cost, a Level 3 door will do the job, especially for an exterior door. Most gun crimes are committed with handguns; a Level 3 door will stop any of these.
Many Level 3 doors are made with GCP (glass-clad polycarbonate), which is available in many formulations, and has options for tints, mirroring, low-E coatings, and more. It wears well in a range of weather conditions, resists forced-entry attempts and vandalism, and can be used to construct insulated glass units.
Many clients are satisfied with Level 1 interior doors, which protect against smaller, more concealable handguns. If your client is concerned about a targeted attack, they might want a Level 6 or 7 barrier, which is designed to stop many shots from tactical rifles.
It’s important to note these examples only cover bullet resistance. If your client is concerned about other risks like fire or forced entry, be sure to specifically ask your supplier or vendor about what other standards their doors have been tested against. FEBR (“forced-entry rated bullet-resistant”) and FRBR (“fire-rated bullet-resistant”) are a different beast from standard bullet-resistant doors, and can get expensive quickly.
2. Do we need exterior or interior doors?
As is the case with standard doors, bullet-resistant doors are designed and constructed differently for interior and exterior applications.
Exterior bullet-resistant doors are available in all eight UL protection levels. In most cases, they are either basic steel security doors or aluminum storefront-style doors.
Ballistic steel doors are available with various different styles of window or viewing options. They are paintable, but fairly utilitarian. In most cases, we see them used at side and back entrances.
Ballistic aluminum doors are more attractive.
These look just like the glass entryway of doors you see on the main entrance to most businesses and public buildings. They are dominated by large bullet-resistant windows with wide aluminum frames.
Either of these door styles can be used on interiors as well, but it is more common to choose a bulletproof wood door or a transparent door made of either ballistic acrylic or a specially formulated glass-clad polycarbonate.
Wooden interior doors are available in Levels 1 through 8, while acrylic and all-glass interior doors come in Levels 1 through 3.
3. Can ballistic doors meet our aesthetic goals?
In short, yes.
At one time you had three aesthetic choices when it came to bulletproof security: county lockup, convenience store, or institutional bank.
That’s no longer the case. Any good physical security provider should be able to provide doors that can be aesthetically and functionally indistinguishable from a standard commercial door—despite being two to four times heavier.
At TSS we specialize in custom bullet-resistant solutions, including doors. Even our “standard” doors are individually handmade, allowing for a great deal of customization.
Because our doors are bullet-resistant due to hidden layers of bullet-resistant fiberglass panels, we have a great deal of design latitude. We regularly fabricate doors in a range of widths and heights, as double and single doors, with and without windows. Steel doors are available in a range of colors, or primed ready to paint. We can create ballistic aluminum doors that seamlessly blend with existing storefronts and vestibules. Our wood doors are veneered in any wood, stained any color, and theycan have panels, multiple glass panes, custom mullions and trim, and more.Our frameless all-glass ballistic doors were specifically designed to blend into corporate offices. Most people will not be able to tell the difference between regular glass and our bulletproof glass doors until their safety is at risk.
4. What are potential usability issues?
The biggest issue with bullet-resistant doors is weight. It’s astounding how often this causes usability and durability issues.
Ballistic glazing is thicker and heavier than standard window glass. Ballistic doors need layers of fiberglass to stop bullets.It’s not unusual for these doors to be two or three times heavier. For an ongoing government project, we’ve been making Level 8 aluminum doors that each weigh 500 pounds.
Unfortunately, people unfamiliar with bullet-resistant security often fail to account for this. I recently met a facility manager who was dealing with a set of failing ballistic double leaf doors at one of his buildings. Whoever made those doors had used standard piano hinges, instead of more durable continuous geared hinges. Those piano hinges held up for a while, but had since warped and begun to pull free, allowing the doors to sag and stick.
Similarly, I was talking to an architect who had just finished his first project that included bullet-resistant doors for a community center. T
he contractor he brought in specified and installed doors that were so heavy, many of the older adults relying on the community center could not open them on their own. That contractor refused to address the issue, taking the position that this was the sort of trade-off you have to live with if you want enhanced security.
That just isn’t the case.
Bullet-resistant doors are heavy, but you can design for that. We regularly install 300-pound ballistic doors in elementary schools. When properly installed and calibrated with proper hardware, hinges, and closers, that door will stay true for decades. Thousands of grade-schoolers pass through heavy TSS ballistic doors every day and are never aware they are different from any other door.
5. What other building systems come into play?
Depending on where they are in the building, ballistic doors may tie into access control systems, monitoring and alarms systems, remote operators, life safety systems, climate control, and more.
We regularly create ballistic barrier systems to meet all sorts of performance criteria.
We can offer insulated framing, tinted glazing, low-E or insulated glass, barriers that include louvered panels for ventilation, and more.
We likewise regularly deliver doors with customer-supplied hardware pre-installed, or pre-drill doors and frames to accommodate wire runs, sensors, electric strikes, or door hardware that will be installed by their contractors on site.
Anyone supplying ballistic doors should be asking a lot of specific questions about all of this. If you tell TSS the manufacturer, make, and model of your hardware, we’ll have no problem making sure your door is ready to receive that hardware.
If a provider doesn’t have follow-up questions when told “we’re using a standard electric strike that mounts the normal way,” it’s a red flag.
6. What sorts of lead times and prices should we expect?
At the end of the day, your clients probably care most about when a job can be done and what it will cost. Unfortunately, there are so many factors at play that those two questions are the hardest ones to answer.
Consider lead times. At TSS, we may be able to manufacture your door in four to six weeks, once all of the approvals are signed—but that doesn't help you much right now, when door hardware has delivery lead times of 12 or even 16 weeks.
Pricing is similarly nuanced. Depending on a variety of factors and decisions, the cost of ballistic security projects can vary enormously. In general, basic bulletproof doors start around $5,000, not including framing or installation fees, and go up from there.
I’ve recently seen door hardware that’s beautiful, readily integrates with all sorts of access control and security systems, and would easily double the price of a ballistic door.
Collaboration is the Foundation of Every Successful Project
We're heard nightmare scenarios from customers about manufacturers and self-proclaimed physical security specialists they previously worked with who weren’t willing to collaborate or communicate.
Every one of our “red and green flags” comes back to communication. When your vendor doesn’t ask the right questions, doesn’t dig into the details to make sure they really understand what you need, or doesn’t listen when you try to make sure all of these intricacies are clear, even a relatively simple project with a few bullet-resistant elements becomes a frustrating undertaking.
At TSS, we are born communicators.
Our Proven Process is designed to give you peace of mind while keeping your project on track and on budget. We take exact measurements and plan custom systems that fit your specifications and aesthetics. We manufacture them in-house and install them ourselves to ensure we get it right the first time, eliminating change orders or waiting weeks for accessories like framing and hardware others overlook.
Learn more about how we work with you in this short video.
In other words, we set architects up for success.
Our download center includes detailed specifications and downloadable guides.
We offer a CE course for architects, and host monthly webinars on ballistics and physical security topics. Do you have a specific question about an upcoming project?
Our in-house experts and product application specialists are here to answer questions or help you start a project today.
