Locking a door without changing the door knob?

[Toph]

Originally Posted by Admiral Donutz

Lol, Dutch.

Deur = door
stop = stop
stopper = stopper/blocker
wig = wedge (we don't call it Deurwig though)

Doorstopper, door stop, door wedge... all the same.

The material the floor is made up from also affects the (in)activity level of these things. If their is no grip the wedge might simply slide all over the floor. :lol:

O I C. I was thinking Deutsch, but then realized it wasn't... I'm attempting to learn it...

I seem to remember something about it being a dorm, they tend to have sort carpet, at least the ones I've seen.

[NiteStryker]

They actually have doorstops that have a little battery-powered alarm. So if the doorstop recieved pressure, an annoying beep sounds.

[Red Menace]

Originally Posted by Admiral Donutz

The material the floor is made up from also affects the (in)activity level of these things. If their is no grip the wedge might simply slide all over the floor. :lol:

Good point. My only experience with them is on carpet.

[Freyr]

The problem with wedges is that they will move backwards until they dig into the carpet at which point you can jimmy the door open by moving the door forwards and backwards slowly. I wouldn't rely on a wedge as a security measure.

I'd go with wedging something under the handle as a stopgap until the owner of the building puts a lock in there for you. As you say, it's low tech but it's still probably the most effective option available. Never ignore effective low tech options just because they are low tech.

It's not exactly a unreasonable request to have a lockable door to your room so I can't see any reason why your landlord wouldn't be willing to do the work for you, especially if you offer to pay for it.

[Lindale]

Originally Posted by Vantage

I'm going to be living in a place where the two bedrooms are attached by a bathroom. And while you can lock both doors from in the bathroom, you can't lock the room from the bathroom, so the other room could just come in when you're sleeping or whatnot. Unfortunately, I can't drill or hammer anything into the door frame or wall or change the knob (and please don't suggest doing it and then doing repairs later; trust me, I cannot do anything to these), so I need something that can help me lock the door from the room (or at least keep it from opening) without causing damage.

Originally Posted by Red Menace

Just a regular door with a regular lock? Why can't you just turn the lock around so that it locks from the bedroom side and keep it locked? Super easy to do. So you are not really changing the lock, just flipping it around and flip it back around when you leave.

Originally Posted by Vantage

This is school housing. I think I'd get flak for that.

I was faced with exactly this same problem when I was in college. The locks were even situated in the same manner. My solution to this predicament was to take a screwdriver, and simply turn the knob around so that the lock was on my side. This solved my problem greatly, even after I was discovered and reported. Like most other legal issues, you can argue your way to victory, if you know what you are doing.


By national law, you have the legal right to secure your home, as well as the legal responsibility. Even though the dormitories are technically school property, you are paying your tuition, the same as paying rent in an apartment. As such, your room qualifies as your legal home, and is legally your property. This means that you have the same property rights as you would anywhere else. With this in mind, you do have the legal right and responsibility to secure your dorm room.


By presenting national law to the school board, they finally relented. I won, and was able to retain all of my security modifications for the entire duration of the time in which I was living in that room. You can do the same if you know your way around your nation’s legal systems.

[NiteStryker]

Originally Posted by Freyr

The problem with wedges is that they will move backwards until they dig into the carpet at which point you can jimmy the door open by moving the door forwards and backwards slowly. I wouldn't rely on a wedge as a security measure.

There are wedges that have rubber strips on the bottom to prevent such incidents.

Originally Posted by Lindale

[ You can do the same if you know your way around your nation’s legal systems.

Knowing your way around as in knowing how to make the system work for you or how to cheat it?

[Lindale]

Don’t cheat. That is just dishonest. Furthermore, if you cheat, you will eventually get caught.


Stay honest, and know your legal rights. Make the system work for you. Unless you know what you are doing, do not attempt this alone. Your best option is to seek the advice and assistance of an attorney.