I own an apartment building and recently converted one of the units into an Airbnb. At first, I had to drag over all my supplies and linens every time I cleaned. I didn’t have a secure place I could store the items that would keep guests from stealing 100 bars of soap or a mountain of toilet paper. I did have a closet with bypass doors, though. What I needed to do was install a lock on the closet, so I could keep all my supplies in a closet-sized safe—a much more convenient location. At The Hardware Hut, I was able to walk into the warehouse attached to my office and buy one off the shelf. The lock I’m speaking of is the PB1068 by Knape & Vogt.
How to use it
On doors that slide, you can’t use a deadbolt. You could use a lock with a hook on it to hook into the frame, but then you’d need two, one for each door. The PB1068 works great for a situation like this and doesn’t operate like a traditional lock. You only need one. To install the lock, you drill a 1″ diameter hole on the front door near the edge where the two doors overlap. You don’t drill it on the overlap but next to it. You then feed the lock from the back to the front and secure it with the included screws. When you operate the lock, a tongue on the back lifts up. If someone tries to open the door when locked, it hits against the tongue and prevents the door from opening.
The directions recommend a hole saw rather than a spade bit. I’m not sure why they call for a hole saw, but I followed the recommendation and picked one up after work before I headed home to install the lock. I’m sure I’ll use the bit again when I need to prep a new door for a latch bolt, as they use the same size hole. One note: do better than I did and make sure your drill is nice and level when you start drilling. I thought mine was, but I didn’t check. Now my hole slants at a little angle.
What to use it on
I was quite excited the next time I needed to clean my unit. All my supplies were right there in the locked closet! I’ve sold this lock countless times to people who want to lock their personal items away for their vacation rental. You can also use it for a pocket door. You’d mount it on the door right up against the pocket. It works exactly the same. If someone tries to open the door when it is engaged, it will hit up against the pocket door frame and prevent the door from sliding open. A warning for when using the lock on a pocket door: it is ugly from behind. If you sit in the locked space (like an office) and the door is closed, you’ll see it. If it’s a closet, though, you wouldn’t ever be in it when the door is closed. So, you won’t notice it then.
KV/Sterling Sliding Closet Door Keyed Lock – Keyed Different – EACH (Bright Brass)
