I keep a backup mechanical key hidden (not under the mat, learned that lesson).
Yeah, hiding the key under the mat is basically an open invitation for Murphy’s Law to show up—ask me how I know. I once thought I was clever and stashed mine inside a fake rock in the garden. Turns out, my neighbor’s dog is part bloodhound and found it within a week... so now I get creative (and a little paranoid) about hiding spots.
I totally get the pain with smart locks. My house is old enough that if it senses anything “smart,” it probably just wants to short-circuit out of spite. I tried one of those Bluetooth ones last winter, and of course, it picked the coldest night to decide it didn’t recognize my phone. There I was, standing on the porch with two bags of groceries and a rapidly freezing lasagna, just staring at my door like it might magically open if I glared hard enough.
Honestly, nothing beats a good old-fashioned key. But your power bank idea is solid—never thought of that. The only thing is, in my house, there are about three places where you can actually plug something in without tripping a breaker. Old wiring has its own sense of humor.
One trick I picked up: keep one of those magnetic lockboxes somewhere outside but not in the obvious spots. It’s saved me more than once when my “smart” devices decided to take a nap.
And yeah, regular lube on the deadbolt is underrated advice. WD-40 is practically part of my toolkit at this point—right next to duct tape and a flashlight that only works when you don’t need it.
Anyway, if you ever figure out how to make smart locks work with 1920s doors that swell every time it rains, let me know... until then, I’ll stick with keys (and maybe an extra pair of socks by the door).
if you ever figure out how to make smart locks work with 1920s doors that swell every time it rains, let me know...
That’s the eternal struggle. I’ve tried shimming the strike plate and adjusting the hinges, but when the humidity hits, my door turns into a medieval barricade. Smart locks just don’t have the torque for old-school wood that expands like a sponge. One thing that helped a bit: I swapped in a graphite-based lubricant instead of WD-40—seems to last longer and doesn’t gum up when it’s cold. Still, nothing beats having a backup key in a spot only I’d think to check (not the mailbox, learned that lesson too).
Honestly, I’ve had better luck just sanding the heck out of the door edges once a year than fiddling with lubricants. Graphite’s great, but if your door swells like mine, it’s like trying to butter toast with a spoon—sometimes you just gotta trim it down. My neighbor swears by dehumidifiers, but that feels like fighting nature with a plug.
I get where you’re coming from—sometimes sanding’s just the only thing that works when the wood keeps swelling. I’ve tried the dehumidifier route too, but honestly, it barely made a dent during our humid summers. Have you ever tried sealing the door edges with a good exterior varnish? I’ve found it slows down the swelling a bit, though it’s not a miracle fix. Curious if anyone’s had luck with weatherstripping or maybe even swapping out the door material altogether...
Have you ever tried sealing the door edges with a good exterior varnish? I’ve found it slows down the swelling a bit, though it’s not a miracle fix.
- Tried varnish on my back door last year. Helped for a few months, but come July, the thing was sticking again. I think once the wood’s already taken on moisture over a few seasons, it just keeps coming back.
- Weatherstripping worked for me on an interior door, but on the main entry? Not so much. The swelling was too much for the strip to handle—just made closing it even harder.
- Swapping out for fiberglass or steel is probably the most “permanent” fix, but that’s a whole project. Did that at my old place after getting locked out twice in one summer (not fun). Fiberglass doesn’t move with humidity like wood does, and you can get them with a wood-look finish if that matters.
- If you’re sticking with wood, sanding and sealing is about all you can do short-term. I’d avoid sanding too much though—if you take off too much, you’ll have gaps in winter when everything shrinks back.
- One trick I picked up: run a box fan near the door on really humid days. Not a long-term solution, but it helps if you’re desperate and don’t want to sand again.
Honestly, after enough years fighting with swollen doors, I just budgeted for a new one. Sometimes it’s just not worth the hassle... especially if you’ve already been locked out once or twice.
