Locks have traditionally been seen as the best way to secure a door. However, thieves and criminals can simply unlock or damage it. There are some simple fixes or do-it-yourself options for locking a door without a key. Such items like forks, belts, rope, chairs, and socks can all be utilized to fasten our home’s doors. Apart from employing doorknobs or padlocks, these things can also be used as support in securing our doors.
Here are the items and how they can be used as door locks:
Fork
You may repurpose a lock with household items for modest emergency circumstances, like a toilet door or a closet door.
How to make a lock for your door with a fork?
Get a fork made of metal that you don’t mind losing. Close the door and insert the fork to measure the size of the opening. Some forks fit nicely, while others stick out far too far. Bend a few prongs if they’re too long. The prongs can be bent with pliers. Remove the handle from your fork and place it between the prongs. The door lock is now secure. Pull the door towards the fork to see if it will stay open. If the handle keeps slipping, you can keep it in place with a rubber band.
A thick metal or wood bar
Security bars can help protect against strong forces like an intruder trying to kick down a door or break it with their shoulder. Security bars or barricades are made up of a pair of strong brackets that are attached to the wall or door frame, depending on the product. Then, a thick metal or wood bar sits in the brackets to block the entire width of the door. This security bar can be lifted up and out of the brackets when you need to use the door and can be quickly replaced afterward with very little effort. Security bars don’t work to keep outward-opening doors safe.
Strike Plate Lock
A strike plate lock is a small device that can be attached to the door frame. It works like a normal door chain, except that the strike plate lock has a metal loop that slips over the door handle to keep it from opening. This strategy is more secure than relying on a set of screws on the back of a door to prevent break-ins. Also, users can install a strike plate lock using the existing screw holes in the strike plate to prevent further damage to the door frame.
Cardboard
One of the easiest ways to close a door that doesn’t have a lock is with a wedge. You can fold a piece of cardboard into a wedge and slide it under/on top of the door as a temporal measure at home. The wedge works great on the doors that open inwards. Ensure you close the door completely. Once locked, place the wedge beneath the door on the side that opens, not the side that has the door hinges. Pull on the door to make sure it is closed and locked.
Sock
It may appear ridiculous, but using a sock can temporarily lock your door. Knowing how to lock a door without a lock and with a sock may appear ridiculous. Use it carefully and in emergencies in which you don’t have access to previously mentioned materials. Again, this is not a long-term solution. It can seriously damage the door hinges. First, get a sock. Winter socks, or any thick and long socks, are recommended. Try folding the sock to make a door wedge. After you’ve don’t that, grab the sock. Put it along the top of the door, where it opens and closes, on the side. Then push the door closed. Take care not to pinch your fingers in the door. To open the door, pull on both the door and the sock at the same time.
Chair
Sturdy chairs can be tilted so that the top of the chair fits under the door handle while the feet stay firmly on the ground. This puts pressure on the door and floor along the chair’s back and legs, which keeps the door from opening. The chair’s back can also prevent lever-style door handles opening downwards. If the handle may also be turned upwards to open the door, this method is no longer as useful. In this instance, it may be a good idea to attach the lever handle of the chair using a belt or rope to prevent it from opening downwards or upwards.
Belt or Rope
Lever-style door handles tend to be easier to lock than doorknobs because a belt or rope can be used to stop the handle from moving. Just tie one end of the belt or rope to the handle and the other end to something that won’t move. Consider utilizing two tethers to totally restrict movement when the handle can open both above and downwards.
A belt or length of rope is also a useful alternative for anchoring an outward opening door because the tether can be fastened to a substantial object, such as a refrigerator or couch. For French doors, wrap both handles with the tether to keep them from opening.
Portable Door Lock
These handy gadgets are ideal for renters and tourists who are unable to install more permanent solutions. A portable door lock, as the name implies, is intended to be used and withdrawn as needed. They typically consist of a metal device, commonly referred to as a claw, that fits over the current doorknob’s bolt or latch and a lock that fits into the claw to prevent the door from opening. However, these locks are ineffective for unlocking doors from the outside.
Heavy Furniture and Appliances
Barricade is the most popular method for locking a door that does not have a lock. It also involves the least amount of work because no purchases are required. You’ll need to place something heavy in front of the door, then remove your barricade whenever you need to leave the room.
You can’t barricade a door from the outside when you leave because you can only lock it from the inside. Couches, tables, refrigerators, and freezers are all useful objects for barricades. Barricades work only if the entrance opens inward.
Conclusion
When you don’t have the money or time to replace the doorknob, there are certain items around the house that can be utilized as a door lock. To keep our homes safe, we shouldn’t rely solely on doorknobs and padlocks. It is best to double-lock our doors not only from the outside, but also from the inside, employing barricades or security bars, so that burglars cannot just enter our homes.