Locks on bathroom doors

[ShuisFan584]

I always have to have a lock on the bathroom door! I'm so paranoid if it's not locked. If there's no lock, I will even make someone stand by the door to make sure no one accidentally walks in.

 

[DizBelle]

I suggest you "accidentally" walk in on him once and see if he changes his tune.

 

[HM]

The door handle should be one of those that locks from the inside and had a small pinhole on the outside. That pinhole can then be used to unlock the door with a small hexkey-like tool if necessary (like when a small child locks themselves in, the door gets locked by mistake without a person inside, an emergency entrance into the room). Definitely change the lock.

 

[KristaTX]

We have locks on our bathrooms. I hate when I go to someone's house for a party or get-together, and they don't have locks on the bathroom. If that happens, I usually will ask my husband to come "stand guard" and I'll do the same for him. Especially if there are kids around, which is usually. They don't seem to think about knocking.

I remember once when I was about 7 years old I went over to a friend's house. She had a little sister - maybe 4 or 5 years old. I was trying to use the bathroom which didn't have a lock, but the little girl refused to stay out and just stood there watching me. It was freaky, so maybe it gave me a phobia.

 

[happygirl]

I voted Yes, I lock the bathroom door in my own home

 

[sbell111]

On the room side of the door knob you will see two screws next to the knob. Remove these two screws and take a knob to homedepot or lowes. Match the same knob style. Remove the two screws on the edge of the door (pull striker out), install the new striker bolt replacing the two screws, put the new handles back on the same way the old ones came off. 10mins top, no need to wait or discuss it, just do it yourself and be done with it. All you need is a Phillips screw driver. If you don't have one buy a set of screwdrivers when getting the new lock. Start to build your personal tool kit. I am sure you can find a video on ytube if you are concerned or have issues.

If you buy a doorknob of the same brand as the old one, you likely won't need to replace the bolt mechanism. This is preferable as the bolt plates that attache to the door edge are not always the same size and shape. Changing this piece out often requires the use of a wood chisel to create an appropriately shaped mortise.

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

If you have parties a lot, then yes, it's important. But if I'm just at a house during a non-party then I don't lock the door.

 

[Wishing on a star]

I guess I am sitting here trying figure out how anybody would have any problem with the idea that a bathroom door has a lock.
I'd pick up a new handle-set myself, and either my DH, or myself, would replace it, or I would call somebody in.

 

[rt2dz]

Yes, locks. We do keep the bathroom door shut--child proofing to keep a toddler out mostly. But, my kids wouldn't think twice about entering even if the KNOW someone is in there. They have no modesty and don't care if anyone else does either. OK, maybe they would for a non-relative, but it is such a habit for them to just open.

 

[blanq]

I am in the minority. No locks. Seriously...if a bathroom door is shut in someone's home would you walk in without knocking? I guess I am astute enough to know that if the door is shut it means someone is in there, and I only hang around people who are apparently as astute as me because I have never had a problem with guests either.

When we moved into our house, one bathroom did have a lock on the door and our then toddler locked himself in the bathrrom and couldn't figure out how to get out. It was a PITA to get the kid out! When we renovated our bathrooms the new doors got new knobs with NO locks.

 

[shortbun]

You're supposed to close the bathroom door?

We put one of those little drop locks on the inside of our guest bathroom. I don't even know if the rest of the baths have locks. I'm guessing they do.

 

[zurgswife]

In the house we bought the 1/2 bath downstairs (which guests would use) does not have a lock on the door. I told DH that it is super important to put a lock on ASAP because I feel it's very uncomfortable when using a bathroom in a house full of people (like a party) to use the bathroom without a lock. DH thinks I'm crazy and that it's not a big deal. So who's crazy? Me or DH?

We live in an old home..1920 and no locks....and our bathroom door hasn't had a lock since we moved in 10 yrs ago. No accidents yet so I guess we are lucky. Though at some point someone stuffed the old time lock with paper so no one could "peek" in....LOL

 

[paintnolish]

We live in an old home..1920 and no locks....and our bathroom door hasn't had a lock since we moved in 10 yrs ago. No accidents yet so I guess we are lucky. Though at some point someone stuffed the old time lock with paper so no one could "peek" in....LOL

We also live in an old house with no interior door locks. Nobody's been walked in on yet! Of course, the kids walk in on me all the time, but that's not an accident. That's just to annoy me!
Dh and I do have a lcok on the bedroom door!

 

[3boymthr]

I am in the minority. No locks. Seriously...if a bathroom door is shut in someone's home would you walk in without knocking? I guess I am astute enough to know that if the door is shut it means someone is in there, and I only hang around people who are apparently as astute as me because I have never had a problem with guests either.

When we moved into our house, one bathroom did have a lock on the door and our then toddler locked himself in the bathrrom and couldn't figure out how to get out. It was a PITA to get the kid out! When we renovated our bathrooms the new doors got new knobs with NO locks.

Hmm... Have you been to a party with a bunch of 5 yos? Man, oh, man if they gotta go they'll come barging right in whether the door is shut or not. Or better yet a deaf old lady or old man, they might knock but since they can't hear you

 

[C.Ann]

I've never heard of a bathroom door without a lock - and yes, I would want one..

 

[disykat]

I also know a lot of people who keep their bathroom doors closed. I'm always afraid to use their bathrooms for fear I'll knock and not hear an answer and walk in on someone. In general if the door's closed, I don't enter - that rule applies to any room in someone's house not just the bathroom.

That said, depending on the age of the house - are you sure it doesn't lock? Growing up we had doorknobs on the bathroom that you sort of pushed in and turned to the right to lock. I think they were common in the 60's and 70's.

 

[bellebud]

I can't tell you how many times over the years I've been walked in on while in someone's bathroom w/out a lock. I now always have someone stand guard, and I honestly get annoyed and think it's rude to NOT have a lock on a guest bathroom if you have people over.

My db/sil a few years ago had a bunch of people to their house. Sil was showing everyone around, I was using the bathroom, and she opened the door on me as part of the 'tour' for everyone. It was really fun for me

They put a lock on the door right after that. We still joke about it.

YES, put a lock. There are so many scenarios that come to mind that are just not OK... a tween girl walking in on a grown man in the middle of urinating. Anyone (but let's say a tween boy as the worse case scenario) walking in on a woman or girl taking care of a monthly issue, etc, etc. Seriously, put a hook and eye if you have to for now. It's common courtesy and common sense to supply your guests privacy in the bathroom.

 

[Carly_Roach]

I can't tell you how many times over the years I've been walked in on while in someone's bathroom w/out a lock. I now always have someone stand guard, and I honestly get annoyed and think it's rude to NOT have a lock on a guest bathroom if you have people over.

My experience is just the opposite. I have never been walked in on while I was in a bathroom. Ever. Not as a child, not as an adult, not at a party, not at work, not at my home or anyone else's home I/we visit.

I blame it on my family and the circle of people we gravitate to. If the door's closed, knock. Even as a child that was drummed into our heads (and spankings delivered if we forgot and barged in on an adult). In households that normally had only one bathroom, a closed door meant "occupied" and respect for other people was highly prized, hence knocking on any closed door.

Maybe it's the change in society 2+ bathrooms became the norm and people feel it's OK to just barge in because the bathroom's typically open. I guess I could understand why having a lock would be a top priority then.

In any apartments or houses DH and I would occupy since childhood, we didn't really care if the bathroom door had a lock on it or not. If the door didn't have one, we wouldn't go to any special effort to replace it. As I've said before, most of our circle of friends were raised the way we were and always knock.

 

[Rora]

I always lock the door when we have people over. I never lock (or close...) the door when it's just DH and I or when my parents are over.

 

[kamik86]

As a kid my bathroom door didn't lock. My dad got mad at my older sister for locking herself in while getting ready (house only had one bathroom) and not letting others in so he flipped the knob (so actually the door did lock but you could only lock people in).

The bathroom in my apartment doesn't have a lock. The reason is that it doesn't have a normal door. it is an old house that was split and the bathroom door is right near the front door but it is a folding slide one (alot of the doors in the house are that way because they are too close together so having real swinging doors would mean always having doors in our way) because of the way it is shaped you have to walk in the door then turn a corner to get to the actual bathroom though so most of the time we don't even close it when it is just the two of us. When people are over if it is closed someone is there.

Then again this is a small apartment were it would take you 30 seconds to check the entire apartment to see if everyone is accounted for in other rooms and thus not in the bathroom when people are over.

The worst bathroom set up ever was at my sisters house where the downstairs guest bathroom had two doors one from each side. This is the only place where I have been walked in on because you would have to remember to lock and unlock both doors. Many times one door would be locked and no one is in there (the other door is open but the last person forgot to unlock the door they didn't exit from)