Technical Guidance

Question:

Should the door between an integral garage and the dwelling be treated as an internal door or an external door from a security point of view?

Considerations:

• NHBC Standards clause 6.7 – D4(d) refers to the security requirement for secondary external access doors to dwellings.

• The security offered by the garage door is unlikely to offer the degree of security described in clause 6.7 – D4(d).

Answer:

The door between an integral garage and the dwelling should be treated as a secondary external access door. It should be provided with:

• A 5-lever or cylinder lock fixed securely.

• Bolts fixed securely at both top and bottom of the door on the internal opening edge.

Where multipoint locking systems are used bolts may be omitted.

Connections between door and/or frame components which can be easily released from outside such as accessible screws should not be used.