The Hinge Guys

Nothing chills the hearts of school administrators and maintenance managers more than news of another mass school shooting in America. These dreadful acts of violence have changed the mindsets of school district leaders across the country. Tighter security. Greater protection. Closer collaboration with local law enforcement. Our nation’s school districts are more watchful, more mindful of every entryway.

Yet as summer maintenance season approaches, there is one source of protection many schools overlook. That is to maximize the break-in resistance of their exterior and vestibule doors by installing the right hinge.

One hour of grueling abuse … and still no one could cross the door threshold.

The U.S. Department of State (DOS) doesn’t mess around when it comes to specifying entrance systems at its embassies overseas. These doors have to withstand a grueling barrage of tests … and that includes attacking the hinge. To earn the privilege of protecting our ambassadors and their diplomatic support staff, SELECT Hinges put its SL27 LL geared concealed continuous hinge through some of the most rigorous Forced Entry and Ballistic Resistance tests conducted by an independent arms and ammunition research lab, H.P. White Laboratory, Inc. in Street, Maryland.

The scenario went like this. Six brawny, athletic men took turns brutally attacking the SELECT hinged door for 15 minutes … rested … attacked .. rested … for eight hours.

First assault - the Ballistic Resistance Test

The attackers stood 20 feet from the door and fired eight shots directly at the SL27 LL using high-powered 5.56 mm and 7.62 mm military rifles (.223 and .308 caliber). Not a single bullet penetrated the hinge.

Second assault - Forced Entry Test

Then for 60 minutes, the attackers used every ounce of their physical force to break through the entrance system using a 10- and 12-lb. sledgehammer, 9 x 2-1/2-in. wood wedges, 1-in. and 3/4-in. cold chisels, a 2-1/4-in. masonry chisel plus other tools to try to gain entry. Some were “concentrated assaults” on the hinge edges.

A full hour of this brutal onslaught … and here is the result.

Only a small portion of the bottom of the SELECT geared continuous hinge was destroyed using wood-splitting wedges during the Forced Entry Test. The attackers failed to breach the entrance and this SELECT hinge was approved for use on all U.S. DOS doors.

Security for your school … and everyone inside … that is tough to beat

You, your staff and parents want peace of mind. This battery of tests assures you that SELECT geared concealed continuous hinges resist ballistic attacks and forced entries. They are designed and engineered to do so better than butt hinges. The SELECT hinge’s continuous contact from top to bottom of the frame and the door is secured with 50-plus fasteners. Compare that to a butt hinge’s three to four contact points and 32 or fewer screws. That’s why administrators and maintenance managers who want to maximize the security of their vestibule entryways specify SELECT geared concealed continuous hinges when retrofitting existing doors or for new construction.

But there’s more to making that choice. A SELECT geared continuous hinge passed a 25,000,000 open/close cycle test. That means SELECT hinges are built to last for at least 60 years in high-traffic entryway applications. As a result, these hinges come with the industry’s only Continuous Warranty^TM — a warranty that does not end with normal hinge use. These aluminum hinges can help schools qualify for USGBC LEED points, too. And 99% of SELECT geared continuous hinges ship within 48 hours of order receipt. 

All of these factors make it faster and easier to protect your school and the people you want to keep safe this year and for decades to come. To get started, talk with your SELECT Hinges representative today.