Have you ever wondered if there is a way you can lock a door that doesn’t have a lock!
In the guide below, I will take you through some DIY tips you can implement at home.
Doors in our homes allow us to let people in and can be used to keep unwanted visitors out.
Other than that, doors can get damaged due to weather, or even the lock can jam after being slammed too hard. The DIY tips are an added security feature to your home and valuables.
In addition, as an individual, you may need privacy in your bedroom or even bathroom. As a result, you will need and use a temporary measure to secure the door.
How To Lock A Door That Doesn’t Have A Lock: 9 Easy Tips
Locking a door via the regular door lock is the easiest and most secure way to protect your home against any intruders’.
On the other hand, emergencies do arise, and as a result, a temporary solution is sought to enable you to lock a door that doesn’t have a lock.
For instance, let’s take a scenario where your front door lock jams at night. Does this mean you will sleep while the door is open?
As you wait for it to be fixed the following day, below are some DIY tips you can employ to lock a door that doesn’t have a lock.
1. How To Lock A Door That Doesn’t Have A Lock With A Wedge
One of the easiest ways an individual can use to close a door that does not have a lock is a wedge.
Though commonly used in many households to keep the doors open, the reverse is also applicable during emergencies or as a temporary measure.
You can make a wedge at home or purchase one in your local hardware store.
In addition, you can fold either cardboard or a sock into a wedge and slide it under/on top of the door as a temporal measure at home. The same applies to store-bought wedges.
The wedge works perfectly for the doors which open inwards. Ensure to close the door completely.
Once locked, push the wedge beneath the door on the side to which it opens and not on the side along with the door hinges. Pull the door and test it is firmly locked.
Other than the ordinary door wedges, we have modern wedges which have got alarms. The pressure triggers the alarm once someone tries to push open the door.
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2. Secure The Doors Knobs or Handles Jointly
Securing door handles together is one of the easiest ways to lock your door that doesn’t have a lock.
It works effectively on the cabinets or sliding doors where you are trying to limit children’s access.
With a piece of rope, security cable, or even a chain with a padlock, tie the two handles on both doors.
The type of knot you will tie will determine how secure your door is. Ensure it is tight enough.
On the other hand, you can use a safety lock to limit access to the cabinets by the children.
A baby safety lock will be ideal for keeping two cabinet handles locked. In addition, you can lock the sliding door with a sliding cabinet lock.
3. Purchase Portable Lock
Portable locks have become popular nowadays because many people are traveling and feel they need extra security in the motel or apartment they will spend.
They are both easy to install and remove and do not damage your door or wall, like others that need to be drilled.
Since they are portable, it also means they are light to carry around with you.
Do not be fooled by the fact that they are light and easy to install; contrary to this, they are very stable and strong when installed from inside your room, and they can stand pressure up to 9 tonnes.
There are different types of portable locks, depending on your need.
The different types include and are not limited to TSL, Addalock, and Burglarbar.
Burglarbar works better on glass entries and sliding doors, while the TSL (Travel Security Lock) is best since it is well marked for both left and right-handed doors. TSL is also more advanced than Addalock, and it can withstand more force too.
4. Tie Up And Support The Door Handle (Anchor)
This technique of securing doors is a bit demanding, and it requires one to think outside the box.
It best works for the doors that open outward such that when a person pulls the doors open from the outside, the tension from the anchored rope will make the door impossible to open.
Tie the handle to an anchor that is strong and elevated above the door handle.
Elevation of the rope keeps it from sliding in case someone tries to turn the door lock open.
Tie the door handle to a ceiling beam, a pillar, a drilled hook, a column in the room, or even a stair railing.
As for the double or French doors, ensure to tie both handles together. Since they both open at the same time, it will be impossible to open only one door.
Below are the steps to follow to achieve it.
With a firm knot, tie one end of the rope/belt to the door handle.
Firmly pull it up to the pillar and wrap the cable extension/robe around the pillar.
Firmly pull it down and ensure to wrap it again under the door handle. Ensure everything is tightly fixed such that no one can push the rope down, even by twisting the handle.
Lastly, loop the rope again back to the pillar/hook/roofing beam and ensure to tie it very firmly with a double knot.
Always note that your door security is very much dependant on how the knots have been tied. If you tie the knots poorly, even if the anchor is firm, it will be of no help.
Once the knots loosen up, the door will automatically open.
5. Dismantle The Outer Door Lock
Dismantling the outer part of a door lock can keep you safe temporarily before a locksmith visits to fix it.
This temporal solution applies where the door lock is spoiled, and the closing mechanism is still operational.
Without a doorknob or door handle, it’s not easy for anyone to open a door. A door handle helps to retract and close the door when turned.
Unless the intruder tries and breaks open the door, it is not easy to open it without a knob or door handle.
In addition, unlike a wedge or door barricade, the dismantling of the doorknob works both for the inward and outward opening doors.
As long as you have s screwdriver at home, this method of locking a door without a lock is easy to use.
6. Fork The Lock
Are you always caught pants down in the washroom by the family members! Forking the washroom lock will come in handy and is very easy to install.
It is an emergency option for that toilet or closet door you want to remain closed.
All you need to do is to pick a fork and break the handle off. Bend the prongs into 90 degrees making sure the size is ok.
Now place the bent prongs into the long gap and close the door. Once closed, place the broken handle through the fork prongs. Now you can try to unlock the door of which will be impossible.
If the fork handle is slipping off, a rubber band or a sweater thread will help to keep it in place. Tie the handle firmly.
This trick is best suited for small indoor doors and not the main or front door.
7. Use A Homemade Barricade
A barricade is the most common and easy way to lock a door that doesn’t have a lock.
It is also less expensive since you are buying nothing. On the contrary, it can be very involving since you might need to place big and heavy objects like a sofa, bed, etc., in front of the door, and every time you are stepping out, you will have to push them away as well.
When barricading the door with a chair, ensure it is strong enough and fits well below the lock.
The chair’s front legs do not touch the floor; instead, they should be tilted at an angle. Push the chair very firmly and close to the door as possible.
The force will hold the knob in position and it will not be easy to turn the knob or the handle, and as a result, no one will open the door aimlessly.
In addition, you can block the door by pushing heavy furniture in front of the door.
Such furniture includes and is not limited to; beds, a dining table, a sofa, among others. Unless the person opening the door has some bad intentions, opening such a door is not easy.
8. Purchase A Commercial Barricade
Commercial barricades are very effective as they are solely designed for barricading purposes.
They can be used both for an emergency and as additional security to an already locked door.
Commercial barricades are made from strong and steady materials to withstand forceful entry, such as kicking and ramming.
They are commonly placed at the base of the door, and they are effective on inward opening doors.
Some of the most effective commercial barricades include but are not limited to Ongard and Nightlock barricades.
Both are installed at the base of the door for added security. Once installed, the barricades are always easy to use. Commercially purchased barricades can withstand a force up to 3,000lbs.
9. Purchase A Door Security Bar/Jammer
Door jammers use the same principle as the one used when barricading a door with a chair.
Door jammers are easy to use and carry around.
They also work effectively for those doors which open inward and not outward.
One of the good door jammers includes the buddy bar. It is engineered so that its Y-shape fits nicely under the doorknob, and its base is well textured for easy floor grip.
Some door jammers can withstand a kick force of up to 1ton.
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Final Thoughts On How To Lock A Door That Doesn’t Have A Lock
Locking a door that doesn’t have a lock often seems challenging, especially if you do not have any other way to secure it.
In the above article, I have explained a few tested ideas you can use as you wait to fix your broken lock or even as an added security when you travel.
Barricades and jammers are as effective just like the regular lock, only that they are not permanent.
The only disadvantage with most of them is that they can only be used when inside a room that is for the doors which open inward.
Therefore depending on your need, you can choose either of the options above.
