My alarm installer has used surface mounted door sensors, ie magnet on the door, reed switch on door frame. I want him to use the hidden type, ie the magnet is put into a hole drilled into the door and the reed sensor in a matching hole drilled into the frame.

The installer says he's not allowed to do that, the British Standard that he has to follow apparently states that, for outward opening external doors, the reed switch/magnet cannot be the hidden type but must be surface mounted inside the door.

Is this true?

If its a upvc door then you definately cant have flush contacts for obviose reasons

What are you on about?? Course you can put flush contacts in upvc doors. ive done loads of them.

The same way you do flush contacts on metal doors, the frames are hollow

If its a upvc door then you definately cant have flush contacts for obviose reasons

What are you on about?? Course you can put flush contacts in upvc doors. ive done loads of them.

You may have invalidated a lot of 10 year guarantees then Montey, I always get the customer to ask there door company first just to cover myself.

A lot of the newer doors have metal across the top & bottom, part of the multi lock system, these cant be done.

Hmm im confused Post number 3 has my name on it but i didnt write it, has the poltergeist struck??

Ooops ignore last post, im just loosing the plot here

Well a lot of doors i come across just have plates on the sides that the lock hook mechanism slides into thus allowing a flush contact to be installed in between.

As to the 10 year guarantee claim, fair enough but im sure upvc arent the only ones covered, how many metal/wood doors do you drill without giving a second thought to any guarantee

It's a wooden door. Installer said reason was water should not get to the sensor - in fact it would be inside the door seal and I offered to get encapsulated reed switches but no good apparently.....

On an outward opening door a flush contact could be comprimised.

If it was possible to see the contact/magnet from th outside then i would say he is probably correct to fit a surface contact ugly though it looks, however if you cant your installer is a lazy git and you should make him fit a flush contact whether it be sealed or not. Weather can be a factor but if the door is correct installed/sealed then this is not an excuse.