I'm looking for ways to add internal door locks in my home since we'll have a live-in carer staying with my mother-in-law while we're away. I'm a bit uneasy about having someone I don't know in the house for a week, and I want to lock certain rooms to limit their access. Our internal doors currently just have standard handles, so I can't use traditional mortice locks without some serious drilling and cutting. I'm hoping to find a solution that's easy to install, doesn't involve a lot of visible hardware, and will clearly indicate that a room is locked. I'm not looking for anything that needs to be super secure, just something that requires a deliberate effort to get past. Any recommendations? Thanks!
4 Answers
You might want to check out lockable interior door handles! They’re not hard to install—you just swap out your existing handles for ones that have a key. That way, you can keep it clean and simple without being too obtrusive. It seems like a perfect fit for what you’re looking for!
If you're open to some clever travel solutions, there are portable door locks made for temporary use. For instance, you can find products similar to the link I shared, which typically offer key locks for added security. It might take some searching, but something like that could work well without permanent fixtures.
Thanks! I've seen those before, but most are for inside locking. The one you linked looks great—though I'm having trouble finding it in the UK. I’ll keep hunting around!
Do you have privacy knobs on your doors? If so, there’s usually a little tool that lets you unlock them from the outside. Builders sometimes leave those tools on top of the door frame. Practicing how to unlock them could give you a low-security solution that still shows the room is locked.
It's understandable to want a locked room, but remember, having someone live in your house for a week means you should build some trust too. Just having a locked closet might be enough without coming off too standoffish—think about creating a good relationship as well.
True, but since this is a short-term situation through an agency, I’d feel better knowing a few things are locked up.
Thanks, I think that’s probably the best option! I’ll just replace the handles on the couple of rooms I want to keep secure.