Are you wondering how to lock a door without a lock? When securing your home, it’s best to install door locks for reliable protection. However, some situations may require you to lock a door that doesn’t have a lock.
Ten ways to lock a door without a lock are:
- Use a Wedge to Lock a Door
- Place the Back Of a Chair Under The Handle
- Lock a Door With a Fork
- Utilize a Door Security Bar
- Use a Belt or Rope
- Install a Floor Barricade
- Add a Strike Plate Lock
- Purchase a Portable Door Lock
- Barricade The Door With Furniture
- Remove the Door Handle
These quick fixes will help bring peace of mind that your home is safe from burglars looking to enter. However, you need to learn the correct ways to utilize these methods, or you may increase the risk of a break-in.
1. Use a Wedge to Lock a Door
One of the most common ways to lock a door without a lock is with a door wedge. These door wedges usually help to keep a door open, but homeowners can also use a door stopper to prevent entry.
Use a commercial door stopper with a rubber surface, which prevents the product from sliding across the floor. Placing the product firmly at the bottom of the door will prevent someone from opening an inward door.
If you are in a pinch, you can also create a makeshift doorstop to improve the security of a door. You can fold some cardboard into a wedge shape and place it at the bottom of an entry door.
2. Place the Back Of a Chair Under the Handle
When you need a sturdy locking option quickly, the best choice is to use the back of a chair. A chair can barricade the door and prevent an intruder from entering. However, the chair needs to be set correctly, and the doorknob needs to be a specific type.
While scanning a room for a chair to use, you need a chair option with four legs and a lever-style door knob. An office chair or twisting-style doorknob won’t work if you try to perform this technique.
Here is how this method works:
- Find a dining room chair or an office chair with four sturdy legs.
- Close the door you want to lock and place the top of the chair firmly under the door handle.
- Depending on the height, you may need to keep the chair at an angle to match the height of the door handle.
- The door’s handle shouldn’t be able to move if someone turns it from the outside because the chair will prevent its movement.
If you have a twisting doorknob, you can still utilize this method by creating a wedge with the door. The steps are the same as listed above, but the sturdy chair will act as a wedge instead of preventing the door lever from turning.
3. Lock a Door With a Fork
One of the most recent discoveries within the security industry is creating a DIY door lock from a metal fork. If you have a door that opens inward, a dinner fork can be an effective lock when you have minimal supplies.
For this locking method, you must bend the fork with a pair of pliers to mold it into the correct shape. If you want to use this technique, we recommend using it for temporary situations only when you can’t do other methods.
To create a lock from an ordinary metal fork, follow these steps:
- Bend the individual ends of your fork at a 90˚ angle, starting the bends at 0.5 inches down from the point.
- Cut the head of the fork off from the handle, creating the two pieces you need to make the makeshift lock.
- Hook the points of the fork into the strike plate and place the fork’s handle through the middle of the fork.
Once you complete these steps, you will have a secure lock that keeps your door in place. This little makeshift lock offers quite a bit of security, making it hard for someone to force their way inside.
4. Utilize a Commercial Door Jammer
Portable door security bars are a widely available option used by homeowners for doors without a lock. The action of preventing a door from opening is similar to how a chair blocks someone from entering.
However, the commercial door jammer has an adjustable height that provides the best security for your home. The security bar sits firmly to the group, with the top of the device mounting to the doorknob.
These door barricades can prevent the following door types the opening when utilized:
- Inward Opening Doors
- Sliding Doors
- French Doors
If someone tries to open the door when engaged, the security bar will jam the door and prevent it from opening. These products are easily transportable, making for an excellent option if traveling.
5. Use a Belt or Piece of Rope
Using a belt or rope to lock a door is an effective option but is only possible in specific instances. You can lock a door without a lock using a belt or rope if you have a door with a hook attached or have a door with a closer.
To keep the door closed, you must hook one end of a belt to the door handle and another to the hook. When using this method, you must stretch the belt tightly to prevent the door handle from moving.
A door with a hook will be the bathroom area for most homeowners. A hook used to hold towels on bathroom doors can be used to your benefit to secure your door. If you need a quick door security technique, you can secure your door within seconds.
Additionally, you can secure doors with a belt by wrapping the belt around a door closer. However, you will typically find an automatic door closer in commercial settings. Most office buildings and schools have door closers installed on the doors.
6. Install a Floor Barricade
Floor barricades are one of the best options if you are looking for a more permanent solution. A properly installed barricade will reinforce the door and prevent someone from gaining unauthorized access to your property.
This locking device anchors to the floor with a baseplate and a barrier for the door. You place the barrier firmly into the baseplate when you want to lock the door. Once you are ready to unlock the door, you remove the barrier from the baseplate.
With the baseplate anchored to the flooring, this locking option can withstand greater forces than the other options. If a burglar attempts to kick the door, they will have difficulty getting past the barrier.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 55.7% of burglaries require forcible entry into the home. If you want to prevent an easy win for a criminal, you need to make it difficult to enter your property.
7. Add a Strike Plate Lock
You can add a strike plate lock for improved security if you have a standard inward-opening door. These locks utilize an anchor in the strike plate and a chain that secures around the door handle.
This lock option is common for homeowners who want to avoid damaging their walls during a standard lock installation. The installation process for a strike plate lock involves screwing the lock into the existing holes in the door jamb.
While this is technically a lock, it’s an add-on option for doors without a built-in locking mechanism. When you want to lock the door, you place the door knob through the hook attached to a chain.
If you want to significantly boost your home’s security, you can install this option on doors with a lock. If someone happens to bypass a door’s lock, they will need to go through the additional barrier provided by the strike plate lock chain.
8. Purchase a Portable Door Lock
For travelers, the portable door lock is a life-saver in situations when you have a door without a lock. However, a portable door lock is effective whenever you need a secure door that requires minimal installation.
Manufacturers first designed portable locks to secure doors in locations like:
- Hotels
- Apartments
- Dormitories
- Rented Rooms
As a homeowner, you aren’t limited to using a portable lock in these locations. These portable locks work for any door, whether you need them for a bedroom or exterior door. A portable lock requires no key, and someone can only remove it from the inside.
If you are looking for a high-quality product, you can’t go wrong with the original portable travel lock product Addalock. This piece of security equipment by Rishon Enterprises Inc. has simple installation and superior protection.
You don’t need any screws or fasteners to attach this portable door lock. Within seconds, you can add this effective lock that keeps burglars from entering your property. However, you need to follow the directions in the packaging for reliable results.
9. Barricade The Door With Furniture
If you face an active threat in your area, a fast solution to securing the area is barricading the door with furniture. This door security method is not recommended for everyday security but is a good option to secure yourself from a criminal.
When you want to block the door reliably, you should place heavy objects in front of the door. These items you use to barricade the door could be anything from a sofa, dining room chairs, cabinets, or TV stands.
If a criminal tries to push their way into your home, the furniture will prevent the door from giving in to a kick-in. However, we recommend having a backup option if they find a way into your property.
Have an evacuation plan to give yourself a fast escape through a nearby exit. You should team up and hold the door closed if you have people nearby. Most criminals will move on if they can’t get a door open quickly.
10. Remove the Door Handle
As a last resort to securing your home, you can remove the exterior door handle to prevent someone from opening the door from the outside. This method is most useful if your door lock is broken and you need to go somewhere to purchase a new one.
You shouldn’t remove an exterior door handle for long periods, as this can pose a safety risk. This technique isn’t an effective way to keep someone out of your property. However, the difficulty will increase for someone trying to enter.
According to ADT, 34% of burglars enter a home through an unlocked front door. If the lock on your front door isn’t working, you can remove the door handle to give them trouble opening the front door.
However, this is a time-consuming option that requires a power drill to remove the screws for the door handle. If you have the option, we recommend using one of the other methods described in this article.
Conclusion
If you have a door without a lock, you can find ways to lock your door with these methods effectively. Whether you are looking for a temporary fix or a permanent solution, you can find the ways in this article.
For people needing a quick way how to lock a door without a lock, we recommend using the DIY door fork lock technique or a belt to lock the door without a lock. When you need a permanent solution, a floor barrier and strike plate lock are the ideal choices.
Whatever your pick, you can gain peace of mind with these ten creative ways!