A new upgrade to the VEKA Group’s Imagine Patio Door means that a simple, yet innovative locking kit can ensure the Door meets all the requirements of PAS 24.

This cost-effective lock solution creates additional appeal for consumers – especially in the new build and commercial sectors.

When choosing a partner for this technical project, VEKA turned to the experience of ERA to help develop the upgraded lock. Instead of a tricky and unattractive add on - like a plunge bolt - together, the companies designed a simpler means to achieve PAS 24 and compliance with Doc Q thanks to a lock kit that is contained within the workings of the door.

The system is simpler to fabricate, easier to install and more attractive to the end user as a finished product.

The market for traditional sliding patio doors is forecast to maintain modest growth and continues to be heavily dominated by PVC-U at 84% share of the market. This cost-effective security upgrade will help VEKA and Halo customers to differentiate themselves from the competition.

Sliding patio doors are historically considered a vulnerable part of the home and research shows us that improved security is still a prime motivator for homeowners investing in new doors and windows. VEKA developed a high security interlock claw profile design and, to ensure simplicity in the ordering process for customers, VEKA will be stocking the locks and hardware.

The new PAS 24-ready locking kit brings a host of benefits for everyone in the supply chain. For fabricators, it offers the same simple fabrication as the standard Imagine Patio Door (aside from fitting lock extensions and keep plates) and there’s no need to route through profile and steel reinforcement sections to accommodate plunge bolts and additional locking devices.

For installers, it requires only the standard patio installation technique, with no time spent aligning hook locks or plunge bolts and no issue of being called back to rectify locking mechanisms if doors move due to thermal expansion.

Finally, for homeowners and commercial customers, the Door and lock are easy to operate with an extended lever on the handle to reduce operating forces. It offers aesthetically pleasing sightlines, with no unsightly locks on the face of profiles and no fiddly plunge bolts to operate to achieve secure closure.