locked out

[Listener]

Last night at about 10:45, my wife asked me to go downstairs and get her something.  I said okay and went downstairs and got her what she wanted.  When I got back upstairs, I tried to turn the doorknob to our bedroom and heard a loud click.  I said to myself, "self, I must have accidentally hit the lock button when I opened the door to go downstairs."  I asked my wife to come open the door, that I must have locked it.

She couldn't open it either.

Oh.  Shit.

I had to destroy part of the molding of the doorjamb so I could wedge a chisel into the door latch and pop it open.

Now I need new molding.  And a new knob.

This afternoon, after work, I guess I have to hit up Home Depot.  But I can't buy only one knob, oh no... they all have to match.  All 11 internal doorknobs in our house will have to be replaced.

The old knobs are 21 years old -- the house was built in 1985 -- so I guess it's better that I do it now, rather than when the baby gets locked in her room and there's no one to turn the knob on the other side.

Also, the knobs in the house are those ones that have the decorative panel covering up the screw heads, and I can never get those off without completely bending them.  I hate those.

[eo000]

i bet that left just enough time for her boyfriend to climb safely out the window.

[DownSouth]

You should have kicked it in.

[Jessie]

i bet that left just enough time for her boyfriend to climb safely out the window.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[Bennyhana]

Last night at about 10:45, my wife asked me to go downstairs and get her something.  I said okay and went downstairs and got her what she wanted.  When I got back upstairs, I tried to turn the doorknob to our bedroom and heard a loud click.  I said to myself, "self, I must have accidentally hit the lock button when I opened the door to go downstairs."  I asked my wife to come open the door, that I must have locked it.

She couldn't open it either.

Oh.  Shit.

I had to destroy part of the molding of the doorjamb so I could wedge a chisel into the door latch and pop it open.

Now I need new molding.  And a new knob.

This afternoon, after work, I guess I have to hit up Home Depot.  But I can't buy only one knob, oh no... they all have to match.  All 11 internal doorknobs in our house will have to be replaced.

The old knobs are 21 years old -- the house was built in 1985 -- so I guess it's better that I do it now, rather than when the baby gets locked in her room and there's no one to turn the knob on the other side.

Also, the knobs in the house are those ones that have the decorative panel covering up the screw heads, and I can never get those off without completely bending them.  I hate those.

A lot of times, there is a hole in the knob of interior doors that lock.  If you take something small and stiff enough (like very stiff wire) and stick it in the hole and push, you can open the door.

[Listener]

You should have kicked it in.

She told me to, but I didn't want to have to buy a whole new door.

A lot of times, there is a hole in the knob of interior doors that lock.  If you take something small and stiff enough (like very stiff wire) and stick it in the hole and push, you can open the door.

Yeah, but the problem wasn't that the latch wouldn't open, it was that turning the knob didn't make the latch move.  I did try the hole -- I have a tool specifically for that purpose.

(That sounded way dirtier than it was.)

[Gamplayerx]

Why didn't you pop the hinges?

[Listener]

Why didn't you pop the hinges?

They were on the inside, and I don't have a screwdriver small enough to slide under the door.

[Gamplayerx]

I've used a hairbrush and bottle of nail polish as hinge removers before. 

[cnamon]

I've used a hairbrush and bottle of nail polish as hinge removers before. 

MacGampyer!

[DownSouth]

I've used a hairbrush and bottle of nail polish as hinge removers before. 

You must have some weird doors.  The only way I can take the hinges off here is to have the door open.

[Gamplayerx]

I've used a hairbrush and bottle of nail polish as hinge removers before. 

You must have some weird doors.  The only way I can take the hinges off here is to have the door open.

You pop the pins out - not actually remove the hinges.

[Jessie]

I've used a hairbrush and bottle of nail polish as hinge removers before. 

You must have some weird doors.  The only way I can take the hinges off here is to have the door open.

You pop the pins out - not actually remove the hinges.

I knew what you meant.

[Alice]

I've never had to unhinge a door.  I hope someday, I will.

[Listener]

I've never had to unhinge a door.  I hope someday, I will.

I did once.  It was easy to get it out, but really tough to get it back in because you have to have one person move the door into place and hold it exactly right while you get the pin in and then replace the screws, if you removed any.  Plus, it was an exterior door, and those are heavy.  (Interior doors don't have to be fire-rated, so they're much lighter.)