The design, hardware and installation of aluminium windows are factors that affect whether the product is Part Q compliant.

Following the publication of Part Q, security has become an essential consideration for new-build properties, and we’re often asked if aluminium windows meet these requirements. The answer is: it depends.

What is Part Q?

To understand if aluminium windows are Part Q compliant, you first need to know what the regulation entails.

Approved Document Q: Security – Dwellings, also known as Part Q of the Building Regulations, was published in March 2015 and it came into effect on 1 October 2015.

It states that all easily accessible doors and windows supplied to new-build properties must comply with certain security requirements.

Establishing compliance

To meet the requirements of Part Q, an aluminium window needs to be proven to resist criminal attack and incorporate construction features that have been shown to reduce crime.

Specifically, windows need to meet the requirements of British Standards publication PAS 24:2012 or 2016. This document sets out the minimum requirements and acceptable test criteria for products to resist attack from opportunistic crime.

PAS 24 is a minimum standard, meaning it doesn’t include higher or lower grades. Testing is carried out by a UKAS-accredited facility, and the factory and manufacturing processes are also examined.

Windows that satisfy other standards than PAS 24 may also be Part Q compliant – but those standards must require similar or better performance characteristics. For example:

  • STS 204 Issue 3:2012
  • LPS 1175 Issue 7:2010 Security rating 1 and
  • LPS 2081 Issue 1:2015 Security rating A.

Does Part Q apply to all windows?

The main purpose of Part Q is to prevent unauthorised access, so it only applies to easily accessible doors and windows.

In practice, this means windows that are within 2 metres vertically of an accessible level surface (such as the ground, a flat roof or a sloping roof with a pitch of up to 30 degrees), within 3.5 metres of ground level.

Where can I find Part-Q compliant aluminium windows?

Here at Soundcraft, we offer a wide range of aluminium windows, including several products that meet the requirements of Part Q.

To find out more about door and window security, please download our new SBD guide: “Specifying ‘Secured by Design’ doorsets and windows; what do the regulations really mean?”