Do you have valuables and are curious about how to lock a closet door? Locking a closet door can be a challenge, whether it’s a sliding or bi-folding door. Fortunately, there are five solutions to lock your closet door securely and keep intruders out.
The five most effective ways to lock a closet door are:
- Install a Hasp and Padlock
- Child Safety Straps
- Add a Hook and Eye Lock
- Place a Door Bar Barricade
- Wrap a Durable Rope Around Handles
These methods will help keep your closet doors shut and prevent someone from taking your items. Keep reading further to learn how to lock your closet correctly to ensure the safety of your precious belongings.
Can You Lock a Closet Door?
We often keep valuables like clothing, purses, and shoes in our closets. A closet is also a common hiding place for firearms and jewelry. Unfortunately, most closets do not have a lock to secure your door.
When intruders enter your bedroom, they will likely swing open the bi-folding doors and take whatever looks expensive. If you want to improve the security of your closet, you can install a locking option on the door.
Along with security against intruders, a lock can keep your children away from your valuable or dangerous items. No building code states you cannot add a lock to a closet door on your property.
5 Ways to Lock a Closet Door
Install a Hasp and Padlock
The simplest way to lock your closet door securely is with a standard hasp and padlock. When you want to lock a door from the outside, you can attach the hasp and place a quality padlock on it.
The downside to this option is that the hasp requires fasteners to be attached to the closet doors. If you rent the space, you will likely be unable to drill holes into the closet unless you agree to replace them.
The lock is only as strong as the padlock you choose for your closet doors. If you use a weak padlock, an intruder can quickly cut it off and access your items. You should select a reliable lock option with a reputation for security.
Child Safety Strap
If you have young children, you are likely familiar with the child safety straps placed on cabinets and doors. Child safety straps are a good choice for people not concerned with securing their closets from theft.
Safety straps don’t require fasteners like wood screws or nails to be in the closet doors. The straps usually include adhesive pads in the packaging that help stick the product to the closet door’s surface.
While the straps are accessible for adults, a young child cannot open the closet to access your items. These safety straps are incredibly important if you have items like firearms or toxic cleaning supplies in your closets.
Add a Hook and Eye Latch
If your closet has a sliding door, the hook and eye latch can help to secure the closet door from your children. In a past article on Serious Home Security, we noted that the hook and eye latch is the best option for a sliding barn door.
However, since you need to lock a closet from the outside, this option isn’t effective if you want security. The hook and eye latch should only be installed to secure your door from curious kids and not for theft prevention.
You can keep the hook out of reach by installing the hook and eye latch at a tall point on the door. We have found that the hook and eye latch are more convenient than child safety straps and are easier to open.
Place a Door Bar Barricade
Are you looking for a superior security option for your closet? If you have a bi-folding closet, the best option is a door bar barricade. Installing a solid metal bar across the closet will keep the doors shut no matter how hard someone pulls on it.
These door bars help when someone wants to lock a door from the outside. However, you must attach two supporting hooks on both sides of the closet doors so the bar will sit inside when secured.
Additionally, you will need to purchase a door bar barricade that includes a way to secure the product with a padlock. The padlock will keep intruders from lifting the bar and opening the closet doors.
Wrap Durable Rope Around Door Handles
If you need a fast way to secure your closet door, a common technique is wrapping a rope around the door knobs of a bi-folding door. With tension around the door knobs, the door cannot slide on the track to open.
We recommend this option to keep someone out of the closet while you are away. It should be a temporary option while considering the other options on this list. Wrapping a cord tightly around the closet door handles will get tiring quickly.
Opt for the door barricade bar if you want a permanent option that provides similar security. You can lock the closet doors by placing the bar in the supporting hooks and can remove it when you return home.
Things to Consider When Locking a Closet Door
Many of the standard closet doors found in homes have no locking mechanism and have weak security. If you are fortunate enough to have a closet with a traditional door, you can install a deadbolt or other lock.
However, if you have a bi-folding or sliding closet door, you have a handful of options to secure your belongings. A closet door is often made of flimsy materials that an aggressive intruder can tear down.
If you have valuables in your closet, we recommend purchasing a security safe to keep your items inside. In the rare instance the criminal gets past the lock, they will still be unable to access your high-value items.
Conclusion
Before this article, you were likely curious if locking a closet door was possible. While closet doors aren’t as easy to secure as standard doors, you can still lock them. Whether you want to lock a closet door for security against thieves or children, we hope this article helps.
In the comments, let us know if you have ever added a lock to your closet doors!