The key is to look beyond the price.
Quality focus ensures safety
With the competition in the construction sector shifting the focus more so on quantity rather than quality, IAIN MACKENZIE of Assa Abloy cautions that buying cheap could in fact prove expensive in the long run.
01 February 2006
Most Middle East countries are going through a construction boom, specifically in the area of residential development with more and more developers and architects asking for specific requirements on the architectural and security hardware fronts.
In addition, the number of potential suppliers in the market has also been on the rise, making it difficult for clients to ascertain whether the product is genuine and comes with the guarantees and reassurance that are expected from it. There have been several instances of inferior hardware being sold, which, in due course, has created issues for home owners such as: being locked out, locks jamming, door closers leaking, handles dropping and so on.
Although various top brand suppliers and manufacturers push daily for products that are fully tested as per international standards, many buyers still look at the cost aspects of this product line and jump on distributors and dealers that claim a lot but deliver little.
The concept that buying cheap is buying expensive in the long run has still not stuck into everyone’s mind. Besides the mechanical defects that arise after the product has been in use for some time, more important are the life-saving aspects.
Products for fire doors are a great example. What if there is a real fire? People could die or be seriously injured because the fire door hardware and fire doors have not been correctly specified to comply with the correct standards.
Several institutions such as the Dubai Civil Defence are realising this aspect and are beginning to put in place strong requirements such as the compulsory labeling of all fire doors and hardware by an independent testing house. This is an excellent move but needs to be followed through, including the compulsory inspection of all projects – especially residential towers. In addition, aspects such the approval of fire escape routes in public buildings and the inclusion of a minimum of two staircases for multi-storey towers (which is the escape route if fire blocks the only staircase in the towers), would also greatly enhance the safety of residents and building users.
What to look for?
Door hardware for fire doors can be broadly divided under two categories – essential and non-essential hardware. Essential hardware includes door closers, mortice locks, door hinges and panic hardware. These products require to be tested for fire door assemblies. Not just complying to the old BS476 but preferably to the new BSEN1634-1. People specifying need to understand what the difference is.
Also, the product requires to be accompanied by the right documentation that will broadly explain all that needs to be known as regards standards, results and ratings of the product. As per the new EN directives this means a Manufacturers Declaration of Compliance for standards and quality.
Additionally, the product could be labelled by Certifire, which would then indicate that it conforms to the right standards and would be civil defence-approved.
The issue of quality and standards is equally important when it comes to non-essential products as well – for instance, you wouldn’t want to be locked out of a baby’s room or the kitchen. All hardware products also need to conform to certain standards, even if it not for a fire-door assembly. Locks need to be performance tested as per BSEN12209; door closers as per BSEN1154; cylinders as per BSEN1303 and so on. Only if all these requirements are met can home-owners be assured that the product will last and not cause any inconvenience or problems.
A contractor should not accept a security hardware product without a mechanical warranty of less than 10 years. Any top brand, which is fully certified, would give easily 10 years or even more, knowing that the products comply with the strict standards in manufacturing process. Besides the warranty, contractors also need to look out for reputable suppliers in the local market to guarantee timely replacements as well as quality service back-up.
The key is to look beyond the price that some dealers could offer and stick to a proper world-class brand – no matter where produced – brands that invest in the business by constantly introducing new and modern designs and initiatives into the market; those that invest in proper testing and ensure quality by giving the right warranties; and those that have been in the market since many years and have built a certain reputation.
“Many believe that hardware or ironmongery products are small insignificant items, but the opposite is true,” says Robert Vos, regional director Union Architectural Hardware, based in Dubai. “This relatively small-value product category saves lives, secures your home and gives the extra bit of class or style to your door assembly. Get the best and you will enjoy the best for many years to come. Go cheap with an unknown, untested brand and you could pay dearly in months to come. Invest a little more and you will have the pleasure and convenience of a long-lasting stylish and safe product.”
It is always advisable to consult the experts before specifying security and architectural hardware products for projects. Let the experts provide the solutions with options and reasons to support these options.
For example, Union Architectural Hardware has a team of professionals based in Dubai and a Middle East network of specialist Union Design Centres who will work with anyone involved in the specification and supply of security and hardware to ensure the right solutions are provided for a client. These leading brands have invested in establishing long-term partnerships in each market.
