How to Create a Secret Space
Choose a location for your secret room., Choose a method of concealing the doorway., Draw plans for your doorway., Install your hidden door., Create a latch to open and close the door., Add trim to the bookshelf to give it a built in look.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Choose a location for your secret room.
Find a place in your house that you would like to use to create your secret room.
You can use existing space and create a hidden entrance, or you can create a new room in unfinished space.
Walk through your house and pick a place where you can install a new door or wall to create a secret space.A large closet is a good option for a hidden room.
Dividing a room in half with a new wall containing a hidden door can create a secret space.
Wall off unfinished space to create a hidden hiding place behind the wall. -
Step 2: Choose a method of concealing the doorway.
The most important part of a secret room is the doorway.
The entrance to your room should not look like a doorway, or people will know that there is a room beyond the door.
Doors can be hidden in the woodwork or disguised as a piece of furniture.
When building a secret room, the door will make or break your secret.A bookshelf on a hinge and rollers can easily conceal an entryway.
Wood paneling can mask doors although the edge of the door can sometimes give away its location.
Stairs can be built with a hinge to raise up and reveal another set of stairs leading down to a hidden basement room. , Before attempting to install a secret doorway, make a plan detailing how your finished door will look.
When designing your doorway make sure you consider the hardware that will make the door functional.
Consider how to conceal the hinge of the door.
A hinge door that opens into the secret space is easier to conceal than a hinge on a door that swings out.
The latch must be secure to keep the door from opening accidentally.
Decide how to open the secret door from the outside.
A wire that extends from the latch on the inside to a disguised triggering mechanism outside the door can do the trick. , Build a door frame using 2x4s Measure the height and width of the doorway and cut 2x4s with a circular saw to frame the outer edge of the doorway.
Using a drill and a chisel, create a cutout in the wood to mount the hinges for your door.
If using a bookshelf for a doorway, you will need to mount the hinges on the bookshelf as well.
Install steel casters on the bottom of the bookshelf to allow it to roll across the floor as it opens.Measure the depth of the bookshelf and align the front face of the bookshelf with the wall to allow it to blend in with the wall.
Align the hinges carefully; measuring the doorway and the door multiple times will ensure that your door will swing smoothly. , A gate latch on the inside of the secret room is an easy way to conceal the latching mechanism from outside view.
A wire can extend through the hidden door to a trigger on the outside of the door.Mount the gate latch to the door frame with the locking pin attached to the door.
Attach a wire to the latch and thread it through a hole drilled in the bookshelf or doorway.
Connect the wire to a book or object that will trigger the latch when pulled.
Glue a piece of wood inside a book jacket; connect the wire to the fake book using a screw.
Place the book on the shelf to conceal the wire. when the book is pulled the door will open. , To keep your bookshelf from standing out, add wood trim around the edges flush with the wall.
The trim work will help conceal the edges around the shelf and prevent it from looking like an opening. -
Step 3: Draw plans for your doorway.
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Step 4: Install your hidden door.
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Step 5: Create a latch to open and close the door.
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Step 6: Add trim to the bookshelf to give it a built in look.
Detailed Guide
Find a place in your house that you would like to use to create your secret room.
You can use existing space and create a hidden entrance, or you can create a new room in unfinished space.
Walk through your house and pick a place where you can install a new door or wall to create a secret space.A large closet is a good option for a hidden room.
Dividing a room in half with a new wall containing a hidden door can create a secret space.
Wall off unfinished space to create a hidden hiding place behind the wall.
The most important part of a secret room is the doorway.
The entrance to your room should not look like a doorway, or people will know that there is a room beyond the door.
Doors can be hidden in the woodwork or disguised as a piece of furniture.
When building a secret room, the door will make or break your secret.A bookshelf on a hinge and rollers can easily conceal an entryway.
Wood paneling can mask doors although the edge of the door can sometimes give away its location.
Stairs can be built with a hinge to raise up and reveal another set of stairs leading down to a hidden basement room. , Before attempting to install a secret doorway, make a plan detailing how your finished door will look.
When designing your doorway make sure you consider the hardware that will make the door functional.
Consider how to conceal the hinge of the door.
A hinge door that opens into the secret space is easier to conceal than a hinge on a door that swings out.
The latch must be secure to keep the door from opening accidentally.
Decide how to open the secret door from the outside.
A wire that extends from the latch on the inside to a disguised triggering mechanism outside the door can do the trick. , Build a door frame using 2x4s Measure the height and width of the doorway and cut 2x4s with a circular saw to frame the outer edge of the doorway.
Using a drill and a chisel, create a cutout in the wood to mount the hinges for your door.
If using a bookshelf for a doorway, you will need to mount the hinges on the bookshelf as well.
Install steel casters on the bottom of the bookshelf to allow it to roll across the floor as it opens.Measure the depth of the bookshelf and align the front face of the bookshelf with the wall to allow it to blend in with the wall.
Align the hinges carefully; measuring the doorway and the door multiple times will ensure that your door will swing smoothly. , A gate latch on the inside of the secret room is an easy way to conceal the latching mechanism from outside view.
A wire can extend through the hidden door to a trigger on the outside of the door.Mount the gate latch to the door frame with the locking pin attached to the door.
Attach a wire to the latch and thread it through a hole drilled in the bookshelf or doorway.
Connect the wire to a book or object that will trigger the latch when pulled.
Glue a piece of wood inside a book jacket; connect the wire to the fake book using a screw.
Place the book on the shelf to conceal the wire. when the book is pulled the door will open. , To keep your bookshelf from standing out, add wood trim around the edges flush with the wall.
The trim work will help conceal the edges around the shelf and prevent it from looking like an opening.
About the Author
Lori Webb
Specializes in breaking down complex crafts topics into simple steps.
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