60
Call your local police department and inquire about a "Knox Box Key". They probably have a master already to open one. You will need to buy the one they suggest or have a locksmith get involved to match their key to the box you purchase. They might even have a system set up for your community that you don't know about.
50
See the lock insides? That's a metal sleeve, with an inside sliding piece. That inside sliding piece is connected to the latch bolt. Push it to the left, and voila!
Some additional details. This is what you see when you remove the knobs, shaft and escutcheons from a knob set. The central shaft, which is has a flat, vertical cross-section, goes through that ...
43
You should just replace the lock with a keyed lock for the time being.
Since all that's required to open a passage lock is "a little screwdriver" it does not offer much "security" at all. (Damage may have come from using a tool that "worked" but was not the intended tool - i.e. the lock may intend a hex key but a flat-blade ...
30
I would remove the hinge pins and unmount the door. Once removed, the hardware should be visible to remove the bolt assembly.
28
That little plunger is called a dead latch. It requires precise and correct alignment between the door latch and the strike plate with no excuses.
The purpose of a dead latch is that if it is held in, the latch can't move. This defeats "using a credit card" to force against the latch's ramped piece to make it retract.
The strike plate, thus, must ...
answered May 3 at 20:37
Harper - Reinstate Monica
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25
The least expensive solution here is to buy a combo lock key box. You place a key to your home inside, put the box somewhere accessible outside and, if you call 911, you simply provide them the location and code. Just be sure to reset the code between uses.
Alternatively you could buy a door lock with a keypad (example) but this route is far more expensive.
25
Actually, they do.
Look at the packages for "Key Numbers"
Every lock package will have a prominent 3-5 digit "Key Number" somewhere on the outside of the package, typically the back. All packages with the same key number use the same key.
So if you have 3 knobs and 2 deadbolts you all want keyed alike, buy 3 knob+deadbolt sets of the same number.
...
answered Aug 15 '19 at 19:12
Harper - Reinstate Monica
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18
We were all young once. You need a Torx screwdriver of the appropriate size https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torx
Actually due to the pin in the middle it is more technically security Torx. Harbour Freight will get you out of trouble cheaply.
18
My mother lives alone and is in a wheelchair so she has limited mobility. She has a number code door control and local EMS has the code on file. She also has a "I've fallen and I can't get up!" service and they have a record of the code as well.
18
The word you're looking for is "Electric strike".
In this system, the door latch is not powered or operated at all. The door striker plate is. In essence the door frame lets go of the door.
Obviously, since the strike is in the door frame, it's not moving, and running power to it is trivial.
answered Jun 1 '20 at 23:55
Harper - Reinstate Monica
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16
Your panel already has the knockout for a lock. It is immediately above the latch.
See graphic.
Read the label, it calls out the Siemens part number for a lock kit.
Or you can bring the deadfront to your locksmith and I'm sure they can figure something out.
Remember, it is illegal to deny a tenant access to their circuit breakers. A locksmith may be able ...
answered May 24 at 1:31
Harper - Reinstate Monica
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15
One option would be to drill holes through the post to allow you to use the lock that you have (or perhaps a slightly longer lock).
15
Some doors have this plate that guards the latch mechanism.
You have one answer in that sentence, Guard and latch, just reverse them to "Latch Guard".
It is called many things,
A "latch shield"
Or "Door latch guard"
Or "Latch protector".
To name a few.
15
Lock functions (as applied to your question)
What you're discussing is called a lockset or latchset's function. There are five functions that are considered "basic" in the world of doors and hardware (entry, storeroom, classroom, passage, and privacy), but we only need to deal with two functions for this, namely entry and one of its variations, ...
14
These are usually called "rim locks" in North America and the UK. Maybe different elsewhere.
answered Oct 26 '17 at 21:48
Aloysius Defenestrate
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13
I have usually seen these just called "surface-mount locks". I have never seen "rim lock" used in the (Eastern) USA.
13
Yep, looks like you hit it with Preston type, it's a screw drive that pulls the window in like a hopper window. Behind the cross-shaped part with the screw (threaded section) should be a part that spins on the threads and walks the upper assembly out, pulling the window along the screw.
I'd get up there and remove the hardware and clean it up, since it's ...
11
It would be fairly easy to retrofit a proper locking latch.
Product link (for reference only)
Here's one that locks from either side. You'd need to grind off the old one, drill for the new one, paint, and mount the new one.
11
I'd be inclined to replace the locking mechanism with a new similar one. Direct replacement. Always change back at end of lease. Who's to know? Not expensive.
Otherwise a notice outside the door - 'Do not disturb', or get used to whistling while engaged...
Or - a length of wood that spans from the door to the opposite wall, or some article of furniture ...
10
Installation instructions depend on the exact model of "electronic door lock" you purchase.
Most of the low-cost/self-contained units install into a standard cylindrical-lock bore (ie, in place of the normal knobset and/or deadbolt), occasionally with another hole or two to anchor them firmly in place. That's an easy retrofit.
Commercial-type units, where ...
10
One option is to buy a 'smart lock' that gives you the ability to unlock the door from device such as smart phone or tablet. If you carry a smartphone around, this might be a viable option.
I feel obligated to note, however, that products in the 'internet of things' (IOT) space have notoriously poor software security practices. For example, a lot of ...
10
That is a circlip.
Just use a small flat screwdriver in the gap to prise it off - make sure you keep hold of it because it can ping away.
If you put the screwdriver in the gap at 3 o’clock and twist it will force the circlip over the diameter of the shaft.
10
How about something like this?
It's a door hanger that you could print yourself at home on some cardstock. When the bathroom is in use, you flip it over to indicate so.
I found the one linked above here, but I'm sure there are countless others out there, and probably some you could order online pre-made as well.
9
Remove the pins from the hinges. You should then be able to pivot the door out of the opening. Once the door is removed you can remove the screws that hold in the strike bolt.
9
According to a german key manufacturer catalog, this is a Drilled, Corrugated bit (Buntbart) with about 14 mm bit length and unknown bit height. It seems to fit a larger variant of Keyway 7 of a "Möbel- und Truhenschlüssel":
9
Not an answer to the exact question, but a recommendation based on my knowledge of locks and personal experience:
The only reasonably secure locks are deadbolts.
The "doorknob locks" are nearly useless for providing real security. They are fine for bathrooms & bedrooms to prevent visitors at inappropriate times, but they are useless for ...
answered Jun 7 at 22:38
manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact
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8
The big disadvantage is having to keep two keys with you instead of just one. If you lose your keys (or someone steals them) both keys are compromised so there's not an advantage to having two different keys in that case.
The only advantage I can see is if you frequently need to let other people into your house. You could hide the door knob key or give it ...
8
There are cable locks that have a plain end to the cable that might fit through.
You might have to file the hole a little bigger in the lock mechanism to allow the end of the cable to angle through.
There are also shorter cable locks, but they tend to have a beefier cable end that is captive within the locking mechanism.
Images and links are for ...
8
The mortise lock type for the key that you depict has a single locking mechanism that can be reached by the key inserted from either side of the door.
The cylinder lock you refer to is actually two separate cylinders that are keyed alike, that each have a simple rod at their back that activates the lock mechanism.
8
You say "they don't need to be high security our anything", so perhaps you could consider SmartKey - Re-Key Technology & Key Control - Weiser.
You can rekey them yourself in literally 10 seconds each. The first time you do it, it will take you longer, simply because you've never done it before, but it really is trivially simple to do.
Any time you ...
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