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privacy knobs and small kids?

Posted by michoumonster (My Page) on
Sat, Feb 2, 13 at 14:45

Hi all,
I am about to order our door hardware. The norm is to use privacy knobs on bedrooms and bathrooms. But i was just wondering what you did if you have small kids since they might accidentally get locked in a room? I am contemplating installing passage knobs everywhere, but then, it would be a hassle to switch them out later once the kids are older .. would love your thoughts and advice!


Follow-Up Postings:

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RE: privacy knobs and small kids?

There's an emergency lock release on all privacy knobs. No need to buy hardware twice.


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RE: privacy knobs and small kids?

hollysprings, thanks. do you know if certain brands have this release? i think our current doors only have a tiny hole that we have to stick a pin in to push the lock out, but it is nearly impossible for us to open it because it takes so much jiggering around. took us 30 minutes to get it open.. right now, we duct-taped all our doors, but this is not a good look..


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RE: privacy knobs and small kids?

Um... I use the privacy knobs turned around because I have small kids. Keeps them in their rooms.....

I can open our Emtek locks in 3 secs.


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RE: privacy knobs and small kids?

My emtek have a screw-in pin that is used to engage the lock. If you remove/unscrew the pin then you can't lock the door. Keep the small pins in a safe place and in a few years you can screw them back in and be able to lock the doors.


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RE: privacy knobs and small kids?

My Bravura have the screw in pins as well. Just don't do what I did and put them in a "safe" place and then several years later, forget where that safe place is.

Had to get replacement pins from Bravura for several doors.


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RE: privacy knobs and small kids?

Eeek.. David Cary how old are your kids? That makes me nervous in case of something like fire starting in their rooms.


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RE: privacy knobs and small kids?

I was waiting for that...

So I suppose that makes cribs dangerous?

Look at causes of fire on a newer house. Smoking. Lightning - usually hits roof. Not a lot of ignition sources in a child's room. Besides, we are right next door.

The concern is more the long hard wood stairs...


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RE: privacy knobs and small kids?

If they are tall enough to reach the knob and lock themselves in, they are tall enough to unlock the door and let themselves out.

Just teach them how the lock works.


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RE: privacy knobs and small kids?

You can DIY something like this until they are old enough to figure out how to unlock lock the door.

http://pinterest.com/pin/22940279323362289/

Here is a link that might be useful: Door muffler

This post was edited by wishiwasinoz on Sun, Feb 3, 13 at 12:15


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RE: privacy knobs and small kids?

thanks everyone. i will check out emtek and bravura.
david, that is a very creative idea, good for time-outs too. though I would fear my kids would end up locking me inside their room. :-)
wishiwasinoz, those etsy door mufflers look cute, much better than the duct tape we are currently using. lol!


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RE: privacy knobs and small kids?

We put the key on a molding 4.5 feet off the ground. Someday he'll figure how to get there....


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RE: privacy knobs and small kids?

If the door casing is thick enough, put the opening device on top of the door trim.

Our older knobs just needed a long finish nail (about 3 inches) that went into a hole in the middle of the outside knob.

The nails just sit on top of the molding for each door.


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RE: privacy knobs and small kids?

thanks! those are some good ways of not losing the key.


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