March 28, 2017

Schlage, a brand of Allegion that has been creating door hardware for more than 95 years, has announced the adoption of new standards set forth by the Builder’s Hardware Manufacturers Association (BHMA) for residential grading in an effort to create a simpler and easier-to-understand shopping experience. The long-standing grading system helps assure buyers that they are purchasing a product that has been tested and certified to high performance standards. Additionally, these new standards will help retailers and dealers to easily identify brands that have received high grades within the system.

Migrating away from the BHMA’s previous numerical grading system, these new standards rate products on an alphabetic scale from A to C, with “A” being the best, across three categories: security, durability and finish. While they are not required, these standards are put in place to help ensure the quality and performance of builders’ hardware by maintaining a grading system that evaluates the hardware’s endurance under laboratory conditions to simulate real-world usage.

“While the styles we offer have changed to reflect the times, Schlage has upheld the same commitment to quality for decades,” said Jason Owens, director of consumer marketing at Schlage. “That’s why our door hardware is not only volunteered for testing against the highest standards, but also subjected to even more rigorous testing in our own labs. Aligning with the BHMA standards demonstrates our commitment as a brand to make it easier for builders, contractors and consumers to understand what the grading designation really means and then choose the product that meets the standards most important to them.”