How to Lock a Door Without a Lock- 6 Effective Ways

For many people learning how to lock a door without a lock may seem like a preposterous idea. Right along the lines of how to have religion without God, or how to run a car without gas or electricity, but this is a legitimate concept. No, you don’t need magic tricks or divine intervention to accomplish this task. In fact, it’s not really difficult to do at all.

Here are 6 easy methods you can use to lock a door without a lock. Note that these tactics work on doors that open both inward and outward, and can be used on sliding doors too.

After reading this article you will find, that should the situation come up, you will safely and securely be able to close a door and keep it shut without a lock.

Why Do You Need This Skill?

While it’s true that door locks are used as the chief means of locking the doors, they are not the only convenient solutions. You might be surprised to learn that it can come in handy to know of other ways to keep your doors shut.

For example, what happens if the lock on your apartment door suddenly breaks and you can’t get ahold of the maintenance man, are you going to stay up all night and keep vigil? Furthermore, what happens if you take a trip to some exotic location but find that the lock on your hotel room door is damaged?

Lastly, what if you are in an emergency situation, a robber breaks into your home when you’re alone and the lock on your bedroom door needs to be replaced? So being informed on how to lock a door without a lock can enable you to cope with broken locks or even doors that have no locks at all.

The two main reasons to keep any door locked is so that your possessions are safe and secure and that you and your loved ones will be protected.

Now, it’s a fact that installing a door lock is probably the number one method for keeping a door shut tight, but there are other possible answers to the problem, some of which you’ve probably never even considered. We all just automatically seem to assume that all doors have locks and that they will be working when we need them, but sometimes that just isn’t the case. So here’s what to do:

6 Ways To Lock A Door Without A Lock

1. Construct a Barricade

One great way to lock a door without a lock is to create a barricade. Just remember that this is only going to be an effective method if the barricade is erected so that the door will swing into it. This option works regardless of if the door is an outside or inside door. It might take a bit of ingenuity, but it’s worth the effort because a barricade is an excellent way to lock a door since it can hold its own against strong outer forces. If it couldn’t, what would be the point of making it?

This is what you have to do to create a barricade:

• Select a heavy item. The more the object weighs, the better as it is more apt to withstand outer pressures. You could use a large dresser, a sturdy chair, or abed with a hefty headboard. Anything that is heavy enough to prevent the door from being forced open, but that you can move into place behind the door will do.
• Make sure that the barricade is arranged in a manner that will not allow the door to open. If you are using a chair as your barricade you can wedge it under the doorknob and place it in a certain manner so that the door will remain locked.

For this purpose, you cannot use a folding chair, as it would not be sturdy enough and would collapse under stress. The chair must be much stronger than that.

Note that this should only be done from inside and not outside of the room. If you place the barricade outside, whoever is trying to get in can simply move it out of the way and reach the door. Also, a barricade is only going to prevent entry for doors that open inward, however, it can work quite well if you construct it properly.

2. Use a Door Jammer

In a touch of irony, the item that was made for the express purpose of making a door stay open can also be used to force the door to stay shut and do double duty as a makeshift lock. One really good thing about a door jammer or a door wedge as they are also called is that you need hardly any space for it. They are easily portable and involve little effort to move about. These make for a very efficient and effective way to lock a door without a lock.

This is how to use a simple, ordinary door jammer as a lock:

• Shut the door all the way.
• Push the door jammer into the top corner of the door. This should be the part of the door on the side that opens, not the hinged side.
• Lightly knock the door jam into place until it appears to be securely set. You may want to do a test try to be certain that the door will stay locked.

Door jammer barricades that are portable are another way to use a jammer to lock a door without a lock. A portable door jammer brace is lightweight but made from sturdy steel to provide adequate resistance against force, can be used with all kinds of floors, and uses hinges and angles to anchor itself to carpeted, laminated, and tiled floors. It is a very good and relatively cheap method to use to protect yourself.

Just be aware that some of these devices might not be as heavy-duty as some other types of door jammer. It’s up to you to make a comparison and find out for yourself. If you don’t need the more costly types of protection, that’s fine, as long as you give the matter thorough consideration.

A door jammer brace is simple to install and should take the average person only seconds to either install or remove it. Absolutely no tools are needed to put this device into use, and it can be quickly and safely removed with a hard upward thrust. It can also be used together with doors that are on high thresholds.

Depending on the manufacturer some door jammers even come with mobile apps that allow you to have control over them even when you are not at home, and others have a manual pedal lock that makes for quick and easy use. Prices vary but have remained reasonable.

There are also pre-constructed barricades such as security bars. You can put them indoor entryways, in the opposite direction that the door opens.

3. Security Bars

Many people feel that a door security bar is the ultimate answer to the problem of how to lock a door without a lock. This is essentially a type of barricading mechanism, that is placed across the width of the door to keep anyone from getting inside. Like the age-old method of sliding a piece of wood across a castle door. That idea worked quite well back then and the door security bars of today are tremendously better.

What a door security bar actually is is a bar made from top-notch steel that is available in different sizes so that it fits all types of doors. This would cover even patio doors which are always an easy target for break-ins. With a little practice, you should have no trouble using one of these security bars.

It can be used in two ways.

To jam the doorknob for an inward opening door by putting one end of the security bar under the doorknob and the other end on the floor, or by placing it across the door.

If, however, you want to keep someone from coming in through an outswing door, which opens outside the room, then a barricade using a security door brace or a jammer won’t do the job. You should have what is called an outswing door security bar.

This is a security bar composed of powerful steel security bars designed to withstand repeated or constant stress and able to stop anyone from forcing their way into your home.

Two cautions. When you buy a security bar you shouldn’t just purchase the cheapest one because you want to save money. Think it over carefully and make sure it meets your needs. Yes, it’s wise to save money when you can, but just make sure that you don’t wind up regretting it in the end.

Also, read the instructions before trying to install any security bar as you could end up damaging your door and doorknob. What might seem a job you can tackle without any directions at all can swiftly turn into a costly accident, so take the time to look at the instructions. They are there for a reason.

Note that some security bars will require drilling to install. And no security bar should have plastic parts or easily fall off of your door. First, check if you’ve installed it correctly, and then promptly return any security bar that doesn’t stay on your door.

Patio Security Bar

The purpose of this bar is to keep intruders from opening your patio door. This also makes an effective visual deterrent to anyone contemplating entering your home through the patio door as the interior of your house can be seen through the door, including the security bar. A would-be thief doesn’t want complications. For them the keyword is simplicity. They want to get in and out of their targeted area with minimal difficulty. And they don’t want to have to make a lot of noise to let everyone around them know what they are up to. So the mere sight of a security bar should send any potential intruders on their way. These are normally easy to install without help. The security bar should be placed in the middle of the patio door so that you won’t have to bend down to lock and unlock the door.

4. Portable Lock

This is a pretty uncomplicated way to lock a door without a lock. It works best for doors that have handle sets on them.

Commercial buildings and residential properties frequently use handle sets that have no locking capabilities. These doors are normally used as connecting doors or bedroom doors and are basically interior doors. Tourists and travelers often use portable locks because they want to increase their travel security. Sometimes the locks on hotel doors can be flimsy or broken and a portable lock comes in handy. This type of lock is so simple to install that it can be done in only minutes.

Usually, a portable lock is used on an internal door to effectively make it impossible to open the door from the outside, even if you happen to have a key. Some hotel owners might not lock you taking this approach to your personal safety, but usually, you shouldn’t have a problem. In these cases, it’s best to remember that you and you alone have to look out for yourself because no one else is going to do it. Take the chance.

5. Steel Door Brace

This is a small piece made from strong steel which is installed on the door close to the floor. If anyone attempts to shove the door open, this will effectively stop them in their tracks.

This object has two parts. One part stays attached to the floor and cannot be moved. The other can be taken off and then replaced when you need to block the door.

This makes for a good barricade, but since it’s necessary to attach the lower piece to the floor it’s more or less permanent. On the other hand, a security bar can be detached and put to use whenever and wherever you want.

Then again, the door brace can endure up to 3000 lbs of pressure without breaking. It’s all up to you to determine how much protection you think you will need.

6. Disassemble Handle Set

Either the handle set or a doorknob can be disassembled if you need to lock a door without a lock. One thing that you need to know, however, is that not every door that has a handle set nor every door with a knob necessarily come with locks. It’s a fact that certain doors are just not built with being able to be locked as the top priority.

Usually, door handle sets and doorknobs have spindles that connect the two halves of the door set. The spindle is rotated by the handle, which pulls the latch back so the door can open.

By taking off the spindle, the outer handle of the door and the doorknob, you will have locked your door. Doing this keeps the latch from being pulled back, thus keeping the door safely locked. It’s fairly simple to do this using a screwdriver.

Over to you

All of the above-mentioned methods are great ways for people interested in finding out how to lock a door without a lock. They’ve been given careful consideration and weighed one against the other. Ultimately, if someone is determined to enter your home, apartment, bedroom, or wherever else you were thinking about protecting, the bottom line is that they will probably do so.

These are ways that show you how to lock a door without a lock as a defense against this, but they are not foolproof. Nor are they guaranteed to work without exception. In the end, it is your own wisdom and quick thinking that may save your life or protect your valuables. What you have to keep in mind though, is that these methods are deterrents.

Someone clever and angry or desperate may find ways to thwart these ideas. As the saying goes, “The best-laid plans of mice and men…” What these concepts are meant to do is to give you additional reassurance that your safety and property will be protected.

To empower you to do something about your situation if you don’t have a door with a lock and feel that you need to do something about it. With a little time and patience, you can learn how to install all of them without any difficulty.

They cannot take the place of calling the police when you feel in danger, or perhaps leaving your home or apartment altogether. They will not protect you under any circumstances, but then can anything really do that? However, if used together with your own common sense, they should help serve to see to it that you come to no harm, your privacy isn’t violated, and your valuables remain untouched.