LPS 1673 Attack-Resistant Steel Doors

LPS 1673 Attack-Resistant Steel Doors. The LPCB Certification Beyond Forced-Entry Resistance

Beyond forced-entry resistance. The LPCB attack-resistance standard.

LPS 1673 is the LPCB attack-resistance certification used on bank vaults, data centres and critical infrastructure. Available on residential specification by enquiry

Every SteelR residential steel front door is tested to BS EN 1627:2011 RC4 (single leaf, unglazed) as standard. For the vast majority of UK homes that specification is more than sufficient. There is, however, a tier above forced-entry resistance entirely: LPS 1673. This is a separate Loss Prevention Certification Board scheme that tests resistance to a deliberate, sustained, directed attack on the asset behind the door. The threat model is fundamentally different from BS EN 1627, and the certification is significantly rarer.

LPS 1673 doors are normally specified for bank vault outer doors, data centre internal cores, telecoms infrastructure, embassy and consul residences, and high-value asset storage. SteelR offers LPS 1673 on residential specification where the property, the owner's threat profile, or the insurer's requirement justifies it. The certification attaches to the internal door assembly and the locking specification. The external aesthetic remains fully bespoke and integrates within the same design language used across the rest of the SteelR collection.

LPS 1673 explained

A separate certification scheme with a different threat profile

LPS 1673 is issued by the Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB), part of BRE Global, the same independent body that runs LPS 1175. Issue 1 of LPS 1673 was launched in 2024. The standard tests doorsets against a deliberate, sustained, directed attack on whatever asset is protected behind the door. Tools used in testing include heavy-duty power tools, cutting equipment, prising and drilling implements, applied for tested durations measured in seconds rather than minutes. The attack methodology is more aggressive than BS EN 1627 forced-entry testing because the threat model is different.
Three independent test schemes operate in parallel. BS EN 1627:2011 (the European framework, with classes RC1 to RC6) tests resistance to forced entry over a sustained manual attack. LPS 1175 (an LPCB-operated scheme, with ratings SR1 to SR4) tests forced entry against a different tool catalogue and methodology. LPS 1673 (an LPCB scheme, with classes A, B, C, D) tests resistance to a directed asset-protection attack with a broader power-tool catalogue. SteelR's standard residential specification sits under BS EN 1627:2011 at RC4 single leaf, unglazed. LPS 1673 is available as the next tier when the property and threat profile call for it.

The rating tiers

AR.A300, AR.B180E, AR.B300E and AR.C120E

LPS 1673 ratings carry a letter for the threat class, a number for the tested attack duration in seconds, and an optional E suffix where the test includes electric or battery-operated power tools. The four ratings currently available on certified production are AR.A300 (Class A, 300 seconds), AR.B180E (Class B, 180 seconds, with power tools), AR.B300E (Class B, 300 seconds, with power tools) and AR.C120E (Class C, 120 seconds, with a broader power-tool catalogue).
For comparison, BS EN 1627:2011 RC4 (the SteelR residential standard) tests sustained manual forced entry over a controlled duration with the European tool catalogue. AR.C120E under LPS 1673 tests a deliberate directed attack with a broader power-tool catalogue under a different methodology, for two minutes. The shorter duration reflects the more aggressive tool set and the different threat model. AR.C is rare in residential specification, and appropriate only where the protected asset behind the door justifies the certification cost and complexity.

The buyer profile

Who actually specifies LPS 1673 on a residential door

LPS 1673 is genuinely a commercial and institutional certification. Its standard applications are bank vault outer doors, internal cores within data centres, telecoms exchange and substation buildings, pharmaceutical and controlled-substance storage, embassy and consul residences (where the building itself forms part of asset protection), and high-value art and document storage facilities. None of this is residential.
The legitimate residential audience for LPS 1673 is smaller, but it is real. SteelR specifies LPS 1673 doorsets for the following categories of brief.
  • Properties with a documented threat assessment prepared by a private security advisor
  • Homes with a constructed safe room or panic room behind the front entrance
  • Residences used by clients of specialist private banks or risk-focused insurers, where the underwriter has flagged a higher risk profile
  • Properties used as principal accommodation by clients in security-sensitive professions, including legal, political and senior financial roles
  • Family offices that store legal records, art or controlled documents within the residence
  • Ultra-high-net-worth properties where the owner's specific risk has been assessed and the brief calls for the highest available certification

Bespoke aesthetic, commercial-grade certification

Period proportions, conservation-area finish, LPCB-certified internal assembly

One frequent concern about commercial-grade certification on a residential door is whether the door ends up looking commercial-grade. The answer is no. The certification attaches to the internal door assembly, the frame integration, the hardware specification and the locking system. None of this is externally visible. A Georgian six-panel door in heritage racing green, with solid brass hardware and stained-glass fanlight detailing, is a viable LPS 1673 specification. So is a contemporary flush leaf in matt anthracite with paired glazed sidelights.
Period panel mouldings, the full RAL colour palette, hardware finish options across polished chrome, brushed satin, antique brass, polished brass, matt black and brushed gold, and integrated sidelight or fanlight configurations are all available within the LPS 1673 product line. The certification does not impose a commercial aesthetic on the outside. Detailed coverage of design options sits on the RAL colours page and the London luxury page.

Specification and lead time

Survey, threat assessment, design sign-off, manufacture

LPS 1673 specification follows the standard SteelR process with one additional step. Following the on-site structural survey, a threat-assessment conversation determines whether the BS EN 1627:2011 RC4 standard specification is appropriate or whether LPS 1673 is justified. Where the property already has a documented threat assessment from a private security advisor, SteelR works directly with that advisor to align the specification with the wider security plan for the property. Where the brief is originating from the owner's own risk perception, the SteelR senior team walks through the difference between tiers in plain terms before any specification is signed off.
Lead time for an LPS 1673 specification is twelve to sixteen weeks from signed design to fitted installation. This is two to four weeks longer than a standard SteelR specification, reflecting the additional certification process and the supply chain coordination required for the certified components. Pricing is individual to the project and is provided in writing within five working days of the survey and threat assessment. There are no fixed tiers and no published prices. The full process for non-LPS 1673 specifications is described on the process page.

Continue Reading

Related reading

Full security specification

Every certification level applied across the SteelR range, including BS EN 1627:2011 RC4 single leaf, unglazed (the residential standard) and LPS 1673.

BS EN 1627 forced-entry resistance explained

How the European framework tests doorsets against sustained manual attack, and why it sits at the heart of the SteelR residential specification.

Secured by Design steel front doors

The UK police-preferred specification, applied alongside BS EN 1627:2011 RC4 and PAS 24 on every SteelR door.

Luxury steel entrance doors London

Bespoke residential specification across all London boroughs, with conservation-area and listed-building experience.

Common Questions

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between BS EN 1627:2011 RC4 and LPS 1673?

They test against different threat profiles. BS EN 1627:2011 (the European framework, with classes RC1 to RC6) tests a doorset's resistance to forced entry. The threat model is an intruder attempting to break in. RC4 is the standard SteelR residential specification, single leaf and unglazed, and is the right answer for the vast majority of UK homes. LPS 1673 is a separate Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB) scheme, run by BRE Global, that tests resistance to a sustained, deliberate, directed attack on whatever asset is protected behind the door. The threat model is an attacker with a specific objective beyond the door, prepared to invest more time and a broader tool catalogue including heavy-duty power tools. LPS 1673 is the next tier above forced-entry resistance entirely, and a separate product specification.

Who actually needs an LPS 1673 specification on a residential door?

LPS 1673 is genuinely a commercial and institutional certification. The standard residential audience for it is small but real: properties with a documented threat assessment from a private security advisor, homes with a constructed safe room or panic room behind the entrance, residences used by clients of specialist private banks where the insurer has flagged a higher risk profile, family offices that store legal records or controlled documents in the home, and ultra-high-net-worth properties where the owner's specific risk has been assessed. For everyone else, the standard SteelR specification at BS EN 1627:2011 RC4 single leaf, unglazed is the appropriate residential answer.

Does an LPS 1673 specification affect how the door looks?

No. The certification attaches to the internal door assembly, frame integration, hardware specification and locking system, not the external aesthetic. A Georgian-proportioned six-panel door in a heritage colour is a viable LPS 1673 specification. So is a contemporary flush leaf with glazed sidelights. SteelR's LPS 1673 specifications use the same bespoke design language as the rest of the residential collection. Period panel mouldings, the full RAL colour palette, hardware finish options and glazing configurations are all available. The certification operates inside the door; it does not impose a commercial aesthetic on the outside.

Is LPS 1673 certification visible from the outside?

No. The door reads as a SteelR bespoke residential entrance from the street. The internal locking, hinge specification, frame fixings and assembly are what carry the certification, and these are not externally visible. For owners who specifically want the certification to be evident as a deterrent, hardware can be finished in heavier-grade chrome, polished stainless or industrial brass to suggest commercial heritage without compromising the residential design language. For owners who prefer the certification to be invisible, the same external finish as any other SteelR door is achievable.

How is an LPS 1673 specification priced and what is the lead time?

LPS 1673 is priced individually after the on-site survey and design consultation. The material, hardware, certification cost and assembly complexity are materially higher than a standard SR3 or SR4 specification, so the quotation reflects that. There are no published prices and no fixed tiers, because every LPS 1673 specification is assessed against the property and the threat profile. Lead time is twelve to sixteen weeks from design sign-off, two to four weeks longer than a standard SteelR specification, accounting for the additional certification process and the supply chain coordination required for the certified components.

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