my roomate is a nosey --- and when I leave the house he takes my locked door off the hinges & goes in, help?

Question

what can I do?

Answer 1

I guess you talked about it that you don't appreciate that kind of behavior.
One option is move out and get a different housemate. Let somebody else teach him proper behavior.
Other option (may be less bother) install padlocks so that it is not possible any more to take the door off the hinges.
A third option would be to put connect something like an electric cow fence to all metal parts of the door so he gets a mild electric shock when he does it next. Though as he will be fairly easily able to circumvent that with wearing rubber gloves it is probably not worth the expense.
Anyway, I've had a lot of different housemates, but nobody like that. So I probably would look for a new place unless the current one is gorgeous.

Answer 2

If the hinge pins are on the outside of the door there is a simple trick to keep people from pulling the pins and opening the door.

Remove one of the screws in each hinge and the matching screw on the other side of the hinge. Install a large finishing nail with the head protruding about a half an inch. Drill a hole in the matching screw hole so when the door is closed the protruding head sticks into the drilled hole.

He can pull the pin but he should not be able to pull the door open on the hinge side.

Answer 3

the hinge pin on most doors are located on the inside, so removing them is unlikely and even if you could , it would be very difficult to remove the door if you can at all. If there is no deadbolt , just a lockset (locking doorknob) you can try to pry the jamb away from the door where the lock is. All you need is to move it enough for the latch to clear. How hard that will be depends on how solid the jamb is. Good luck.

Answer 4

My youngest daughter had the same issue. You will have this when living with roomates, it is inevitable. I know its hard these days, but your only real choices are to either fortify your room door (can be done) or not live with a roomate.

There is a little, inexpensive device you can install with a philips head screwdriver on the hinges of the door. I am trying to find a link for you.

For some reason, Firefox won't load a PDF. Try the link

Answer 5

The hinges you`re looking for are called NRP hinges. Nonremovable pins. HD and Lowes have them. Just get the appropriate size. Someone will probably have to help you hold the door while you install the screws. GOOD LUCK P.S. Dump the roomate!!!!!

Answer 6

Call A carpenter and Have Switch Hinges To Inside Of Door.

Answer 7

Since you cannot change the door. Change the hinges to the type you use for an outdoor door. They have a built in pin that keeps them locked even if the hinge pin is removed.

Answer 8

Go visit your local locksmith. There are a couple products for less than ten-bucks that you can put in yourself. Heres the easiest one. You replace a screw or two in each hinge with one of these and remove the opposite screw. They hold the door in place when the hinge-pins are removed...
http://www.hardwaresource.com/Store_ViewProducts.asp?Cat=812
Or replace the middle hinge with a spring hinge like this...
http://www.pesjam.com/product_link.asp?SUB_ID=449&LINK_ID=34
Either way can be done pretty quick with just a screw-driver.

Answer 9

move out Or...change the swing of your door. it obviously swings out into the hall and he can get to the hinges. Or, go to the hdwr store and ask for butt screws with protruding pins. once the center pin is installed in each hinge, even if the pin is pulled the door will not come out as the screw-pins transfer into the door jamb and the door is virtually locked.

Answer 10

Apparently the door closes from the outside, O.K. then put a deadbolt on the backside of the door also, if the door is on the outside. From what your saying, if he can take the hinges off, it's on the outside. Than a deadbolt on both the sides of the door will prevent him from opening it even if he does take the hinges off.