# How do I lock a door?
**URL:** https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-do-i-lock-a-door/1725
**Category:** The Bunker
**Created:** [June 11, 2013, 3:10pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-do-i-lock-a-door/1725 "2013-06-11T15:10:55Z")
**Posts on this page:** 18
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Paquito](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Paquito)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2013, 3:10pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-do-i-lock-a-door/1725/1 "2013-06-11T15:10:55Z")
Sorry if this was answered elsewhere. I’ve searched but couldn’t find an answer.
When I pick a house to make my own, it’d be pretty handy to be able to lock the door into the house behind be when I enter. That way it gives me a bit more security without having to board up the door all-together.
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### Author:  [@whw4](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/whw4)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2013, 3:17pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-do-i-lock-a-door/1725/2 "2013-06-11T15:17:21Z")
I haven’t found a way to do this. The zombies can’t open doors, so they still would have to bash through even if it was locked; which I believe wouldn’t require any more effort on the zombie’s part.
I usually dig a couple or four rows of pits to created a zig-zag entry way to the door; the zombies end up stumbling into them and by the time they reach your front door should be pretty easy to take down. You could add wooden spears to the ones closest to your entryway.
Really I much prefer boarding up all doors and finding a window that lies out of line of sight of the town, cleaning that up, pitting it (spears if needed) and using that to climb into and out of. Gives you one last turn or two should the undead get to the window as they’ll be slowed down trying to climb inside. I also once added some wooden walls -inside- the house as a makeshift hallway to further channel them as an Alamo type set up.
Side effect of all this is that you’ll have plenty of food available as random wildlife falls into your pits and die there.
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### Author:  [@Bladerock](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Bladerock)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2013, 3:18pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-do-i-lock-a-door/1725/3 "2013-06-11T15:18:35Z")
I think there isn’t any creatures that can open doors. They just go straight to breaking it down.
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### Author:  [@Alistaire](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Alistaire)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2013, 3:21pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-do-i-lock-a-door/1725/4 "2013-06-11T15:21:18Z")
ttlose?[/tt]
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### Author:  [@Paquito](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Paquito)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2013, 12:35pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-do-i-lock-a-door/1725/5 "2013-06-13T12:35:24Z")
Good to know the door can’t just be opened by creeps. I was worried about the risk of my stuff being stolen, possibly by wandering NPCs or something like that, but I guess that’s not a feature of the game.
Thanks!
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### Author:  [@kenoxite](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/kenoxite)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2013, 3:36pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-do-i-lock-a-door/1725/6 "2013-06-13T15:36:09Z")
While critters can’t open doors, NPCs can and will open any closed door as of now.
Say you want to go out raiding from your provisional home base by exiting through the back window, to prevent calling attention from your front door area. NPCs companions don’t have such considerations. They’ll try to get to you by going through anything they can open. So it’s not unusual for them to merrily prance towards you while leaving the front door wide open, leaving your base vulnerable to roaming creatures.
So, being able to lock doors would would not only come handy, but it might end up being a necessity. Particularly as NPCs get fleshed out and they become more prevalent in-game.
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### Author:  [@DWC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/DWC)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2013, 7:00pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-do-i-lock-a-door/1725/7 "2013-06-13T19:00:07Z")
Yeah, NPCs will open doors. I got axe-murdered in the middle of the night in my mansion stronghold by some NPC. “Hey buddy, let’s talk!” “Where are you, pal?” So when they get fleshed out more it’d be nice to be able to lock your doors.
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### Author:  [@Justice](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Justice)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2013, 10:28pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-do-i-lock-a-door/1725/8 "2013-06-13T22:28:19Z")
I’m thinking a new construction recipe should suffice. Springs are already in the game, so adding something like a simple screen door mechanic should be an easy fix. So, just have mechanics:1 or construction:1 and a couple of required items, i.e. a spring, and choose the appropriate Construction menu option.
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### Author:  [@Pthalocy](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Pthalocy)
#### Post date: [June 14, 2013, 1:07am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-do-i-lock-a-door/1725/9 "2013-06-14T01:07:24Z")
Justice, do you mean to create a door that closes itself?
I’d like to see a basic lock recipe too, couple pieces scrap metal or something to create a sliding door latch would suffice. If/when item quality gets added in, the option for proper deadbolts or electronic locks could be implemented in perhaps. Thinking way down the road, of course.
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### Author:  [@DWC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/DWC)
#### Post date: [June 14, 2013, 2:48am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-do-i-lock-a-door/1725/10 "2013-06-14T02:48:32Z")
Installing a deadbolt or a lock would be kinda lame considering the setting, barring the door from the inside makes more sense. Doors leading to the exterior of buildings should have deadbolts already, maybe [c]osing a closed door would lock it.
Like, installing a bracketed cross bar with a 2x4 some nails and scrap metal, or something like that, would make it harder to break down (although not as much as boarding it up) and would prevent NPCs from coming in as well.
Padlocks should be a thing though, maybe you could chain wire gates closed with a chain and padlock and you could padlock a cross bar as well, so NPCs can’t stroll through no matter what side of the door they are on, so you can lock up your safehouse while you are out pillaging the countryside.
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### Author:  [@Justice](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Justice)
#### Post date: [June 14, 2013, 2:59am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-do-i-lock-a-door/1725/11 "2013-06-14T02:59:29Z")
[quote=“Pthalocy, post:9, topic:1725”]Justice, do you mean to create a door that closes itself?
I’d like to see a basic lock recipe too, couple pieces scrap metal or something to create a sliding door latch would suffice. If/when item quality gets added in, the option for proper deadbolts or electronic locks could be implemented in perhaps. Thinking way down the road, of course.[/quote]
I meant a door that closes automatically, yes. I sometimes forget to close them behind me. 😃
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### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [June 14, 2013, 4:18am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-do-i-lock-a-door/1725/12 "2013-06-14T04:18:35Z")
A door bar seems somewhat cliché… Perfect! Throw it in-game!
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### Author:  [@woflsipder](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/woflsipder)
#### Post date: [June 14, 2013, 9:10am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-do-i-lock-a-door/1725/13 "2013-06-14T09:10:45Z")
It would be cooler if NPC’s that are on looting missions would break into windows or break down locked doors instead of just saying “the door is locked? I guess i wont eat today!”.
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### Author:  [@Iosyn](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Iosyn)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2013, 1:40pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-do-i-lock-a-door/1725/14 "2013-06-18T13:40:00Z")
Don’t worry, wandering NPCs aren’t fond of stealing your shit.
They prefer the ‘hands up or you get shotgun to the face!’ method.
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### Author:  [@woflsipder](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/woflsipder)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2013, 4:06pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-do-i-lock-a-door/1725/15 "2013-06-18T16:06:15Z")
[quote=“Iosyn, post:14, topic:1725”]Don’t worry, wandering NPCs aren’t fond of stealing your shit.
They prefer the ‘hands up or you get shotgun to the face!’ method.[/quote]
I’ve noticed that they prefer “Hey , Pal wait up! Now drop your weapon and let me shotgun your face!” method.
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### Author:  [@Accursed91](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Accursed91)
#### Post date: [June 20, 2013, 1:12pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-do-i-lock-a-door/1725/16 "2013-06-20T13:12:56Z")
I tend to bypass the entire problem by digging a moat around my safehouses in one to two rows and filling them with spikes. When i want to leave i just place a two by four across it and then remove it once i have gotten across 🙂 of course, this still doesn’t prevent the odd bear/cougar to somehow get inside my base when i am out… Which one of my characters learned the hard way when he woke up with a bear standing over him… 😕
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### Author:  [@Iosyn](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Iosyn)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2013, 8:57am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-do-i-lock-a-door/1725/17 "2013-06-21T08:57:16Z")
> [@Accursed91](#):
>
> I tend to bypass the entire problem by digging a moat around my safehouses in one to two rows and filling them with spikes. When i want to leave i just place a two by four across it and then remove it once i have gotten across 🙂 of course, this still doesn’t prevent the odd bear/cougar to somehow get inside my base when i am out… Which one of my characters learned the hard way when he woke up with a bear standing over him… 😕
yeah, you really need to guard your spiked moat with an outer moat.
I hate having to replace the spikes every few rabbits. :F
That said I tend to just moatify the entrances and windows I plan to use, since anything nasty enough to break through walls tends to fall to the alley of traps I usually plant in-between my home and the next while I limbo through it. My last safehouse had this enhanced with an even further outer ring of barbed wire and even more traps. I imagine the entire house looked like some kind of fortification from call of duty.
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### Author:  [@xLemor](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/xLemor)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2013, 9:19pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-do-i-lock-a-door/1725/18 "2013-06-22T21:19:18Z")
like this [http://www.cad-comic.com/cad/20130605](http://www.cad-comic.com/cad/20130605)
npc needs a use