A week ago, my mom figured out how to get through my bedroom door lock: using a screwdriver. I’ve heard her on a phone call with my uncle, and he showed her the trick. Whenever I don’t respond or give in, she could just insert the screwdriver through my lock, and bam, she can come in whenever she wants to.
I’ve searched online for getting around this, and I’ve decided on:
- Getting a lock. (or something that (b)locks the door)
- Using a portable lock. (Addalock, any others)
- Using a doorstop.
- Make your own lock. (like using a fork)
But then I thought that my mom would still enter using the screwdriver. The handle’s loose, so she knows she’s able to barge in. I could be wrong, though.
My door jamb has a dent, so she has a peephole to look in and might figure out why the door wouldn’t open.
Should I be able to get a lock? If not, are there any alternatives or other solutions?
Edit: Wanted to make a quick edit. My mom shows narcissistic traits, and would barge in the room for her own entertainment. I’ve tried asking her to leave a few times, even discussing about it with her, but she isn’t seeming interested to understand or listen. I would stay as far from her in my room in order to not attract her.
All I’ll say is, I beefed up my bedroom lock when I still lived at home, I was maybe 13. I thought I was pretty clever installing a padlock and security bar. That would give me privacy for sure!
Well, for all my hard work, it only resulted in my father smashing the door apart and removing it entirely the first time they wanted to enter without permission. That was the day I learned interior doors are not exactly reinforced, and most are not even solid core… anyway I eventually hung a thin blanket some months later, but I had effectively zero privacy the rest of the years I lived there.
I’d suggest you work towards an understanding with the homeowner before you try removing their access from rooms.
Steel door it is. Thanks for the tip.
No joke, when I got my own place I replaced the main bedroom door for a thick, annoyingly heavy, solid wood door almost immediately. After experiencing how easily the childhood door was defeated, I sleep a bit better knowing there’s a “strong” door between me and potential intruders…
The next weak link is the doorway framing, but unless the FBI are coming in I think it’s good enough.
In the US, you can just knock a hole through the dry wall next to the door.
OPs post sounds like their mom hasn’t used the screwdriver yet, and before that, they had some privacy with that lock (except for the peep hole), so with some luck, she’d just think that the trick doesn’t work.
Sorry to hear your story though, that’s so messed up.