How to tell a genuine security screen from a look-alike — and what you should receive when Ajay Security completes your installation.
A security door or window screen is one of the few things you buy for your home and then trust with your family’s safety every single day. It is easy to assume that anything sold as a “security” door will do the job. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Across Australia there is a real difference between a screen that has been tested, certified and installed to the Australian Standard, and a cheaper look-alike that simply resembles one. The good news is that you do not need to be an expert to tell them apart. You just need to know what compliance means — and which two labels to look for.
What “compliant” actually means
In Australia, security screens for the home are governed by Australian Standard AS 5039. This is the benchmark that separates a true security screen from a fly screen or a decorative “barrier” door. The standard is made up of three parts that work together: AS 5039.1 sets out the classification and performance a product must achieve; AS 5039.2 covers how the screen must be installed; and AS 5039.3 defines the methods of testing used to prove a product can resist a forced entry.
To earn a security rating, a screen has to pass a demanding series of tests — including a dynamic impact test, a jemmy (lever) test, a pull test, a probe test, a knife-shear test and a corrosion test. The dynamic impact test is graded at two security levels: SL100, where the screen must withstand five impacts of 100 joules each, and SL200, the highest level, where it must survive five impacts of 200 joules each and remain in its frame. A product that passes is genuinely built to keep an intruder out. A product that has never been through this testing is, at best, an unknown quantity.
The risk of a non-compliant screen
Non-compliant products are often marketed as “barrier” or “safety” doors. They can look almost identical to a certified security screen in the showroom, but they have not been proven to withstand a determined break-in attempt, and they may not stand up to Australia’s harsh climate — from intense heat to coastal corrosion — over the years. Even a quality screen can be compromised if it is poorly installed or modified in the wrong way. A screen is only as strong as the way it is fixed to your home, which is exactly why the Australian Standard covers installation as well as manufacture. Choosing a compliant product, fitted by a professional, is an investment in security that actually performs when it matters.
The two labels that prove compliance
Here is the simplest way to know you have received a genuine, compliant security screen: look for two labels. Under the Australian Standard, a product can only be officially classed as a security screen when it carries both. One comes from the factory, and one is applied in your home. Together they confirm the screen was made correctly and fitted correctly.
Manufacturing Compliance Label – Applied by the manufacturer, at the factory – Confirms the screen meets AS 5039.1 and has passed all the tests in AS 5039.3. It will show a security level of either SL100 or SL200 — both indicate a compliant security screen.
Installation Compliance Label – Applied by your installer, at the time of installation – Confirms the screen has been fitted in line with AS 5039.2, so the product performs as it was tested to. This label is marked “do not remove” and should stay in place.
If a screen carries only a manufacturing label, the product may be sound but you have no assurance it was installed to standard. If it carries neither, you simply do not have a certified security screen — no matter what it is called. Checking for both labels takes seconds and gives you real confidence in what is protecting your home.
How Ajay Security delivers compliance
Ajay Security follows the requirements of the Australian Standard from the factory to your front door. As a proud member of the National Security Screen Association (NSSA) — Australia’s peak industry body for the security screen industry — and an authorised dealer for Prowler Proof, we supply products that are independently tested and audited to AS 5039. Prowler Proof’s Diamond range is rated to SL100, while the ForceField and Protec ranges have passed the highest SL200 level.
When our team completes your installation, you will receive your compliance labels — the manufacturing label from Prowler Proof and the installation label applied by our installers. If you would like documentation for your own records, you can also request a compliance certificate at any time. Backing it all is a 10-year full replacement warranty on Prowler Proof screen products, plus a one-year Ajay Security installation warranty, and more than 20 years of local experience across Brisbane’s southside, Logan, Ipswich and the Gold Coast.
Protect your home with screens you can trust
Ready for compliant, great-looking security doors and window screens, professionally installed? Contact Ajay Security for a free measure and quote.