Use This Clever Hack If You Ever Need To Lock A Door Without A Lock
If you need to lock a door without a lock, there are many different methods you can use. They range from household items you can grab to lock a door at a moment's notice to secondary door locks that can be purchased and used as an extra safety measure. All these methods use resistance to stop any possible intruders from pushing on the door and forcing it open. Because of this, they will only work on doors that open into the room you are trying to lock.
It is important to be safe, so small secondary locks are convenient to carry with you. Items that can be found around the house, like chairs and doorstops, work well but are not as good as secondary locks that are made to keep a door shut. Corporate Travel Safety explains that these types of portable locks can be used by anyone, from travelers in hotel rooms to renters who can't change door knobs and even homeowners looking for extra security.
Household items
A couple of household items can be used to lock a door that doesn't have a lock on it. The chair method is the most convenient because it is highly likely that there will be a chair nearby. In order to do this method, the door needs to open into the room, and the doorknob needs to be a lever — this is because the chair is going to stop anyone from moving the handle or pushing the door open on the other side. This method also works best with an office chair because the height of the back of the chair can be moved to fit underneath the doorknob, according to Daily Home Safety. Taking a chair, put the back of it under the door knob. Then adjust the height if necessary so that the chair is stuck under the door knob, or add other items under the chair's legs to add more height.
A doorstop is another household item that can prevent a door from opening. Again, the door has to open inwards for this method to work. This method works by physically preventing the door from opening, even if the doorknob is turned. The best type of doorstop to use is a rubber one, which is less likely to slip when the door is being pushed on from the other side. Simply place the doorstop under the door, pushing it into place.
Secondary door locks to purchase
Whether you are looking to lock a door without a lock or add extra security to doors that have locks, there are many different types of secondary door locks available. Door jammers are a type of these that works similarly to the chair method. To use one, you will need a door that opens inward, but the type of knob does not matter because door jammers have a rounded top. Door jammers are height-adjustable bars that are placed under a door knob and adjusted to fit tightly between the knob and the floor, according to A Secure Life. That way, no matter how hard the door is pushed, the door jammer will prevent it from opening.
Portable door locks are another option to purchase. These little locks work with both types of door knobs, but you will still need a door that opens inward. According to Corporate Travel Safety, these locks are used by putting the claw piece into the strike plate of the door frame before you close the door then, when the door is closed, you slide the other piece into the part of the claw that is sticking out and lock it into place. Portable door locks work by using the second piece to prevent the door from opening.