Expert: Dan Griffin - 11/10/2008

Question
Hi Dan,

You sound like the man with the all around knowledge I'm looking for.  My daughter just bought a house in New Orleans.  It's not the safest city in the world, and her back door is mounted with the hinges on the outside, so that anyone could tap the hinge pins out and enter her house.  they did this, I imagine, so the door could open to the outside.  It would open to a fairly narrow hall if it opened to the inside.  My question is, is there some type of hinge we could put on the door that still allow it to open to the outside, yet with the hinge pins on the inside?  Is there some type of lock for the pins such that they can't be tapped out?  Or, do you have another solution, other than remounting the door, that would keep her home secure and keep my daughter safe?

Thank you,
Nancy

Answer
Nancy, there are hinges called NRP hinges (non removeable pin).  They have an Allen head set screw in the hinge barrel that traps a groove in the hinge pin.  This would be the most simple solution.

YOu could also add a steel grilled door on the inside that would swing in, some of the gorgeous New Orleans wrought iron.