GND security label: proof of a well-insulated door

Consequence of ruling KEGO Foundation

Director Henk Breel of GND Garantiedeuren, the umbrella body of leading Dutch wood door manufacturers for more than 40 years, is a satisfied man. And that has everything to do with a December 2023 ruling by the KEGO Foundation, administrator of the energy performance platform. "From now on, EP advisors will be allowed to mark GND doors with an insulation class of 1, 2, 3 or 4 as insulated during a basic survey of a home," Breel said. "Since the inclusion of this insulation value has a positive impact on the energy label to be issued, it therefore makes sense to choose doors that carry the GND security label."

The GND security label, affixed to the hinge side of the door, was introduced in 2016 to read out performance in terms of fire, smoke, noise and burglary resistance. The result of the statement made by KEGO late last year is that the door's GND insulation class can also be added to this list. 

"The reason for the ruling is the frequently held debate between, on the one hand, homeowners who have made investments and expect a better energy label and, on the other hand, EP consultants," Breel explained. 

"The latter group is bound by the strict recording protocol under BRL 9500, which requires proof of the performance of the products applied. In other words, an EP consultant recording the energy label of a home may only mark a door as insulated if this is actually demonstrable. Previously, this did not happen much, if at all. Partly because not enough thought was given to it beforehand, partly because it could not be arranged afterwards. All that is now in the past. With the ruling by the KEGO Foundation, EP consultants may now include doors that fall into insulation class 1, 2, 3 or 4 in BRL 9500 as proof of a properly insulating and draft-tight door. As a result, the investment contributes to a better energy label. A fact that will give both EP consultants and homeowners great satisfaction." 

54 millimeters thick

On the way to achieving the 2050 climate goals, the government has set a standard for the entire house. At the same time, target values have been set when a part of a house (for example, a door) is future-proofed. 

"To meet this, the government has prescribed a door thickness of 54 millimeters," Breel continued. "Furthermore, a door must now have a minimum u-value of 1.4W/m2K. This is achieved when the professional applies HR++ glass and frame sealing in addition to a 54-millimeter-thick door. Unfortunately, this requirement is sporadically followed in everyday practice. You often see situations where poorly insulating and keeled doors that are 38 millimeters thick are replaced by new ones with the same thickness. An unwise choice. Simply because you quickly recoup the relatively low additional cost of a 54-millimeter door and, with such a solution, the home meets the 2050 climate goals. If you choose a 54-millimeter thick one with insulation class 2 or higher, the benefits in terms of insulation value and draft reduction are even greater. Not only does this option have a very favorable impact on the home's energy label, but also on the comfort and cost of the resident. So the knife cuts several ways."