Written By: Brad Campbell | December 19, 2023
When you think of forced entry-resistant doors, you might picture heavy, solid steel doors with no windows or glass components of any kind.
While these types of fortified doors certainly do exist, what about forced entry-resistant doors for commercial facilities that have glass storefronts?
Well, if your place of business has an all-glass entry door or doors with built-in glass windows, the good news is that they can be reinforced against forced entry and attacks.
Depending on the level of security you need, you can also make your glass doors bullet-resistant.
Virtually every type of commercial building needs forced entry protection. A building is only as secure as its most vulnerable potential entry points, which are almost always unprotected doors and windows.
More often than not, criminals try to force entry to a building by breaking a pane of glass to unlock and open a door from the inside. Because of this, your property’s doors are often your first line of defense against forced entry.
The examples listed above can all benefit from forced entry-resistant doors, but they may have different needs in terms of levels of protection.
For example, retailers and offices are typically most concerned about burglary and theft, whereas government buildings and schools may be more at risk of violent attacks.
The exact level of protection your facility needs is best determined by having a professional threat assessment carried out by a security expert.
During a threat assessment, the security professional in charge walks though your property to identify security vulnerabilities, especially when it comes to windows and doors. They then make actionable recommendations on how to improve security, including where and how to reinforce doors.
As we mentioned earlier, intruders often gain access to a building by smashing a pane of glass out and reaching through to open a door from the inside.
It’s been shown that criminals are able to do this if there is a pane of glass anywhere within about 40 inches of a door’s lock and handle.
Intruders also frequently use pry bars to bend door frames and even pop door locks right out of their frames.
In the event of a violent attack, such as an active threat scenario, the attackers may shoot out a door’s glass to gain access to a facility.
To protect against all of these methods of forced entry, your doors should be composed of both forced entry-resistant glazing and security framing.
If your commercial building’s glass doors are unprotected against forced entry, Riot Glass can help.
There are three solutions we typically recommend for reinforcing your doors against forced entry, burglary, and violent attacks:
For framed glass doors or doors with a glass see-through window component built in, retrofitting ArmorPlast polycarbonate-based security glazing is a very cost-effective option for forced entry prevention.
ArmorPlast is available in a variety of thicknesses and strengths, starting at 1/4-inch containment-grade (non-ballistic) AP25, our flagship product.
AP25 does not stop bullets, but it is virtually unbreakable and will continue to deny forced entry even if riddled with bullets.
If you want even higher levels of protection, ArmorPlast glazing is available with various UL 752 ballistic resistance ratings, which means it can stop several rounds from specific types of firearms.
As a retrofit solution, ArmorPlast can be installed into or onto your existing door framing systems, so there’s no need to remove or replace the existing glass (one of the reasons it’s so cost-effective).
Additionally, unlike traditional forced entry prevention solutions, like window bars, ArmorPlast does not significantly alter the appearance of your storefront, block out natural light, or reduce visibility.
This makes it an ideal solution for retail stores and other types of commercial buildings where curb appeal, light transmission, and views of the outdoors are important benefits of glass doors.
ArmorPlast is also available with our Gen II Standard Series security framing, which offers extreme durability with an even smaller footprint than previous models. This makes it an even more ideal retrofit solution for making doors forced entry resistant.
Gen II security framing is compatible with 1/4-inch or 3/8-inch forced entry-resistant or bullet-resistant infill panels and comes in a variety of finishes to match the appearance of your existing storefront.
If you’re after a truly unbreakable forced entry-resistant entryway door system, a Riot Glass unbreakable door conversion may be the ideal solution.
These door conversions employ a combination of the solutions discussed above, including ArmorPlast Gen II Series door conversion security framing and ArmorPlast AP75 bullet-resistant security glazing infill panels with a UL 752 Level 1 ballistic resistant rating.
This formidable combination of forced entry-resistant door materials results in a virtually indestructible commercial glass entryway door unit that can withstand even the most determined, violent attacks.
The AP75 unbreakable door conversion infill units have even passed one of the most intensive forced entry resistance tests in existence — the ASTM F3038 forced entry test.
This test is designed to simulate a spontaneous mob of attackers, such as a group of rioters, using heavy hand tools and other readily available objects to try and force entry over a prolonged period.
Passing this test means that these unbreakable door conversion units are suited to some of the most high-security commercial applications you can imagine, including high-security government buildings and similar facilities.
For businesses and commercial facilities with glass storefronts and entryways, the need for forced entry-resistant doors cannot be overstated.
Traditional images of solid steel doors don't have to define security, as glass doors can also be reinforced against forced entry and attacks.
Riot Glass provides effective solutions catering to different security needs, offering options like ArmorPlast retrofit security glazing, Riot Glass AG Series all-glass forced entry-resistant doors, and Riot Glass unbreakable door conversions. These solutions not only enhance security, but maintain aesthetics, visibility, and natural light.
We can assist you with choosing the perfect glass security doors for your project, so don’t hesitate to reach out to us today with any questions.
Contact Riot Glass now for a free consultation.
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