Letterplates are a vital piece of door furniture but they are often its weakest link thanks to security and fire safety risks. It’s something that John Crittenden, Managing Director of independent hardware distributor Carl F Groupco, is keen to highlight. “It’s very easy to focus on the aesthetics of a letterplate. They’re important, of course, but it’s vital to remember safety and security too. We have a range of letterplates that tick all the boxes.”
The security risks of letterplates came into focus with the introduction of the Door and Hardware Federation’s TS008: 2015 security standard. All Carl F Groupco’s stocked letterplates meet the requirements of TS008 as a minimum.
The range includes the Yale Postmaster Professional TS008 letterplate, which will fit on any PAS 24 accredited door to meet the requirements of TS008 without the need to retest. It features a telescopic sleeve to suit a variety of composite and PVC-U door thicknesses, ranging from 40mm – 75mm.
There’s also a fire rated variant with intumescent material available. When tested as part of a doorset, Yale’s Postmaster Professional TS008 letterplate not only exceeded the FD60 time test by an additional 25%, but also successfully passed the smoke leakage test.
Elsewhere in Carl F Groupco’s range, there’s the Soterian Slim TS008 Letterplate, which boasts features that set it apart from other TS008 letterplates on the market – and take it beyond TS008 for the ultimate in security. It features serrated stays, which are foldable to achieve compactness for transit and storage, biased to stay open to aid fitting and serrated to frustrate thumbturn or handle manipulation by strap/cord. Designed for 44mm – 70mm composite, timber and PVC-U doors, installation involves simply eight screws and a hinge rod.
Carl F Groupco’s range of letterplates offers everything you’d expect from a company that is approaching 70 years in business. As John concludes: “The devil is always in the detail. We work hard to pay attention to that detail so our customers can have peace of mind that we offer a range of letterplates that meet and exceed high security and fire safety standards.”
