Security doors at the entrances to social housing blocks rarely make headlines. But when they fail, residents notice immediately. Access becomes uncontrolled, antisocial behaviour escalates and confidence in building management quickly erodes.
Recent approvals by councils to install new communal security doors in residential blocks highlight a recurring issue facing housing providers across the UK: entrances that were never designed to cope with the realities of everyday use.
For manufacturers like Warrior Doors, the communal entrance is not simply a doorway — it is a piece of critical infrastructure.
Managing Director Brett Barratt believes the sector still treats entrance security as a short-term procurement decision rather than a long-term asset strategy.
“Too often doors are installed as a quick fix,” he explains. “They meet a certification standard on paper, but they’re not designed for the constant pressure that comes with real occupancy. Residents, deliveries, foot traffic, misuse, vandalism — it all adds up.”
Across many developments, entrance systems are experiencing heavy wear far earlier than expected. Hardware fails, frames distort and access control systems become unreliable. The result is a familiar pattern for housing providers: escalating maintenance costs followed by premature replacement.
In some cases, the situation becomes so difficult to manage that doors are removed altogether.
At one block of council flats in Sheffield, security doors were taken out after repeated vandalism made repairs financially unsustainable. Residents later reported feeling unsafe as strangers began freely entering corridors and stairwells. Local councillors described the decision as reluctant but necessary due to the mounting repair bills.
For Barratt, stories like this highlight a deeper problem in procurement thinking.
“When a door fails repeatedly, it stops being a security solution and becomes a maintenance liability,” he says. “Housing providers then find themselves paying for repairs, temporary security measures and eventually full replacement. That’s where the real cost sits.”
Warrior Doors argues the sector needs to think differently about communal entrances. Instead of treating doors as consumable fixtures, they should be considered long-term capital assets — infrastructure that protects residents and underpins building management.
A properly engineered communal entrance — manufactured from stainless steel, fitted with certified hardware and designed for heavy use — can remain operational for decades with predictable maintenance.
“When the entrance is built properly, the financial model changes,” Barratt explains. “You can capitalise it over its real service life instead of repeatedly funding repairs from operational budgets. It becomes an asset rather than an ongoing problem.”
Durability has become a defining focus for the company’s engineering team. Warrior Doors manufactures stainless steel security doors certified to SBD and LPCB standards, including the world’s first LPS 1175 SR3 glazed sliding security door, developed to withstand sustained attack while maintaining accessibility for high-traffic environments.
Barratt says the goal is simple: design entrances that survive the way buildings are actually used.
“Communal entrances are pushed, kicked, propped open and tested every day. Designing for perfect behaviour isn’t realistic. Designing for real life is.”
As councils and housing associations continue investing in safer residential environments, the conversation around entrances is beginning to shift. Security is no longer just about locking systems or compliance certificates — it is about long-term performance.
Because when the entrance fails, the consequences are immediate.
“Residents should feel safe the moment they walk through their front door,” Barratt says. “If a communal entrance protects people, it has to be engineered to last. And its value should be recognised as the long-term asset it really is.”
