Photo: pbo31 @ Flickr
This is the counterpart to my recent post DIY: Hide a key inside your home where no one will find it!
If you’re like a lot of people, you rely upon your garage door opener for access to your home a high percentage of the time. In order to enter our home, 99.9% of the time my wife and I use the door openers which are integrated into our cars or the keypad I installed alongside the garage door. If we’re going out for the evening with friends and they’re driving, I don’t bother bringing a house key – we’ll just use the keypad when they drop us off later in the evening.
But what if there’s a power outage?
If it’s a workday and I’m returning home at the end of the day, I do keep a house key on the removable tab in the backpack that serves as my daily bag:
If I don’t have my backpack with me and the power’s out, though, I’m totally locked out. What to do?
Security experts generally advise against hiding keys outside your home. This link is to an article on the State Farm web site which contains some good general information about home security – note that it cautions against hiding a key outside. But if I’m locked out of my house, there’s a power outage or the garage door opener has decided to be temperamental – uh, thanks State Farm for your input, but I really need to get in somehow, short of breaking a window. For that reason I’ve chosen to hide a key outside our home, but have done so in a way that I’m extremely confident no one would ever find it. This post will cover some tips on how you can do the same.
Avoid the obvious!
One VERY obvious option is hiding a key beneath the door mat or under a flower pot or planter on the front porch – you might as well leave the door unlocked if you’re going to choose such an obvious place! But with a little cleverness you can hide a key in an accessible location that your typical burglar (usually males under the age of 25) would never think to check.
I’ll cover a couple of options, both of which I think are pretty good. But first…
A few ground rules:
- Don’t hide a key within 15′ of any door the key operates – for obvious reasons
- I’m assuming you want to hide a key for emergency use only – going out and retrieving the key once a week or every few days increases the likelihood that someone will see you doing so, thereby compromising the security & value of your hiding place
- Initially hiding a key as I’ll describe doesn’t take more than a minute or two at most – but be discreet when you do it – if necessary, do it at dusk or after nightfall
- Finally, if you have neighbors who you completely trust – use one of these methods but hide the key outside their home. If someone were to somehow stumble across the key, they’d naturally assume it’s the key to that house – not yours!
Option 1
Let’s revisit one element of the methodology I covered in my post about hiding a key inside the home: hook & loop tape, more commonly known as Velcro®. Those merry pranksters over at Velcro® (no, I have no connection to the company) have an upgraded version of the product called Velcro Extreme:
Extreme is a heavy duty version for use on rough surfaces (brick, cinder block, etc.) and is designed to withstand extremes in temperatures. It’s essentially Velcro on steroids; here’s a close up picture:
It’s a bit tough to get a good picture of the hook side (top in the photo above) but this should give you an idea. A package with five 4″ long sets cost less than $5, by the way. Line up your key on the “loop” (fuzzy) tape and cut a piece to match:
Here’s the key after I trimmed the excess off with scissors (left image):
Armed with this and a 2-3″ long piece of the hook material (to make it easier to replace the key; above right) let’s go find a hiding place…
Out in the open, but where no one would think to look…
You ideally want a hiding place that at first seems to have contradictory qualities – it needs to be accessible, but can’t be an obvious hiding place. I walked around our house and found 3 good spots within a minute or so:
1. Here’s an option I love: inside the piece of rain gutter used to direct water away from your house. Although the surface is corrugated, the heavy duty Velcro will adhere to the underside of the top surface of the gutter. Located a couple of inches inside, the key is protected from the elements (any water traveling through the gutter will be flowing over the bottom surface, not the top!) and can be removed in a second or two. As with all 3 options I’ll show which use hook & loop tape, clean the surface you’re going to adhere the Velcro to thoroughly, using a clean cloth or rag, remove the backing from the Velcro, and press it firmly in place. When you need the key, just reach in, twist the key to the side and you’re good to go.
2. I’d never noticed this before, but when the HVAC contractor installed our AC unit, they used a polyethylene base that’s a little too small. The unit overhangs the base by about 2-1/2″ inches or so on one side, leaving a very clean and protected surface (the underside of the AC unit) to which our Velcro can be applied. Just clean the surface, remove the Velcro backing, & press it firmly in place; you have a hiding spot that no one is ever likely to consider…
3. Finally, when I was poking around the gutter mentioned previously, I reached under the siding nearby. There’s a nearly 2″ deep surface available at the inside bottom of the lowermost piece of siding – and there’s enough room to reach in and place the Velcro behind the siding. Clean the surface with a rag, remove the backing tape, and press it firmly in place; who would ever look here??…
Option 2
A bit less elegant but every bit as effective, the second approach I’ll suggest uses nothing more than a small ziplock bag. Small bags like this are readily available at craft shops, car swap meets, and of course on the internet. You may also find them at electronic parts stores. All the bag is doing is protecting the key from the elements; you could probably just wrap it in plastic wrap. In this case I’m using a 2″ x 4″ bag:
In this case I simply want to find a spot along the foundation where I can put the key beneath some mulch. In the photo on the left I’ve pulled away the top layer of decorative stone used around our foundation and put the key in place; when covered up the key is hidden and protected by a 2-3″ deep layer of stones (right photo):
Keep in mind if you live in a northern climate, you’ll want to avoid having snow drift over the spot you’ve selected. If I were to use the spot shown above, it’s near where I normally shovel and I could keep the snow cleared off without the fact that I was doing so looking odd or raising suspicion.
That’s it — as was the case when hiding a key inside (related post,) there are numerous other out of the way hiding spots that you can utilize – if you wish, please comment and provide your ideas…
P.S. In the course of writing this I realized that there’s another scenario – I drive home without my backpack (no house key with me) and the power’s off. I don’t feel like using the key I’ve hidden outside (neighbors are outside nearby, a bunch of kids are walking by, etc.) In both our cars I discovered that there’s a vertical surface on the side of the trunk that is completely out of the way and which would also easily accommodate our Velcro and key. Here I am shown reaching up there – there’s a painted metal surface that’d be a perfect spot:
One critical NOTE: If you decide to hide a key in your trunk as suggested here – or anywhere else in your car (your glovebox is a really dumb place, by the way) you MUST do this first: go to where you keep the title to your car. Put a note with your title: REMOVE HIDDEN KEY. When you decide to sell or trade in your car – preferably when you DECIDE to do it, not when you actually sell it, – remove the key. When you get caught up in selling the car however, you may not remember to do so. The note with the title is a last chance reminder, should you forget.
5/3/08 EDIT: An alert reader asked an obvious question at this point: why don’t I just carry a house key on my keychain??? See my comment in the comments section. I carry only one key with me, and it’s the “smart” key for my car. See below, and thanks again, Carl!
That’s it – be safe and secure in your home – AND have a hidden key handy should you ever need one!
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May 2nd, 2008 at 9:20 pm
INSTEAD OF HIDING A KEY IN YOUR TRUNK, WHY DON’T YOU JUST PUT A HOUSE KEY ON THE RING WITH YOUR CAR KEY.
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May 3rd, 2008 at 5:27 am
Carl,
Your comment made me smile. I forgot to mention one critical point in the post… years ago I got rid of all the extra keys on my keychain, having gotten tired of lugging them around.
Today I simply carry the I-Key for my Infiniti:
http://url.ie/cyd
This key works electronically, although there’s a mechanical key in the fob should the fob battery fail, enabling you to get in the car and start it. I don’t feel like cluttering up the I-Key with a bunch of other keys. Silly perhaps, but that’s how I feel.
If I’ve been at work, there’s a house key on the tab in my backpack as shown in the post; if the power’s off, I’ll use it.
If I don’t have my backpack, I’ll resort to retrieving our hidden key. In four and half years, I’ve had to do that one time.
My office key, incidentally, is on a retractable cord clipped to my backpack. I walk up to the door, pull the key out of its retractor, unlock, and let it zip back in.
My electronic badge gets me in the front door of our office building 24/7. It too is clipped inside one of those mesh beverage pockets on the backpack.
So… as I said above, I’ve gone the minimalist route. I like carrying only one “key,” and that never leaves my back pocket. Walk up to the car, press a button on the driver’s door handle, and I’m in. Step on the brake, push the dash Start button, and I’m off. The I-Key stays in my pocket.
Thanks again – I should have mentioned in the post that I’ve adopted a somewhat minimalist approach to my “keychain.” Thanks for writing!
-kc
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May 21st, 2008 at 10:33 pm
A good suggestion Carl had ,with the car key being on the same ring as the house key.
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June 11th, 2008 at 10:50 am
I enjoyed your write up on keys, hiding, etc,. I am also a minimalist. The i-key you mentioned is only for your model of car (infinity) or is it something universal that you can adapt to other vehicles?
Leslie
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June 11th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
Thanks, Leslie!
The I-Key or smart key is used on Nissans, Infinitis, some Toyotas, and perhaps some other makes. As it depends upon the car’s computer system and perimeter sensors, a universal aftermarket unit isn’t possible. Thanks for visiting!
-kc
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December 2nd, 2008 at 11:29 am
I enjoyed reading your article. Great suggestions on where to hide the key and the velcro cut-to-size.
For about a year I’ve been thinking about how I need to hide a key somewhere outside. I had thought about the sticking a key in a ziploc and hiding under my landscaping rocks like you have pointed out, but I didn’t think about the problem with snow! I’ve piled up snow up to my waist before around the house.
About hiding the house key in the car I’d be paranoid about someone stealing my car and them now having the key to my house. They’d know where I lived because of the registration info. I know the key wouldn’t be noticable, but nontheless..
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December 2nd, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Karen:
Thanks for the comment! If you choose to hide a key beneath mulch, just do so in a spot that’s easily accessible during the winter – right next to your garage or front walk, for instance. It’ll be relatively easy to retrieve. (If at all in doubt, keep an old screwdriver in your car in case things have frozen up a bit.) Like your site, by the way!
Kevin
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December 11th, 2008 at 9:24 am
I just wanted to thank you for the information on hideing a key out side the house. My husband has epilepsy and does not drive a car but takes the bus and a couple of times he walked out without his keys so when he got back home he could not get in the house and I was at work and wasn’t there to let him in the house. He taped a key to the back of the house in plain sight which I don’t approve of so the information from this site really helped. Thank You again.
Bev
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Kevin Reply:
December 11th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
Beverly -
You’ve made my day! I’m happy this post was of help to you. Hope your holidays are wonderful.
Kevin
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January 19th, 2009 at 2:20 am
Is anybody not worried about somebody finding out where the keys are kept. I would never do such a thing and wouldn’t mind carrying an extra key on my key bunch
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January 21st, 2009 at 12:30 am
Great ideas … I recently faced this issue. The problem with me is that I habitually lock the house as I walk out the door … sometimes I’m just going to the mail box or the garage (not accessible from the house). Now I’m a goner. The house is locked and the garage is locked and my pockets are empty. Hiding it in the car won’t work as the car is locked in the garage. A key has got to be hidden outside as I use it several times a year. I did have it taped just inside the cat door that went into the garage, but the cat is gone and I’ve just replaced the door. I used to keep it in the back yard, but can no longer enter the back yard without getting into the house first … so your velcro trick is a good one. I’m thinking that a magnet would would just as well in several places.
Molly
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January 22nd, 2009 at 5:38 pm
A little investment can solve this issue permanently. In my case, I replaced my front door lock with a Schlage BE365 keypad deadbolt. It has 10000 possible combinations, and after 3 incorrect entries, it refuses to work for several minutes. That makes it more difficult to test out the right pin than just pick the lock. To be more secure, I also change my pin every half year. A 9v battery can last 2 years on normal use. If you decide to use this product, be sure not to use obvious numbers other people can easily guess like your phone numbers or family member birthday, and change battery when warning light and beep go off. In case the battery is totally dead, the garage door keypad can still be used to open the garage. True, this cannot solve the problem if the battery dies and power is out at the same time, but that rarely happens.
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Kevin Reply:
January 22nd, 2009 at 5:48 pm
Thanks for a great comment, Roy – I was vaguely aware of the Schlage unit; thanks for sharing the PN.
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June 25th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Great Ideas! I carry my house key on my car key ring as well but often times (if a friend is picking me up) I do not carry my key chain with me. I like to have a key outside as well and now have a few new ideas to play around with.
-Mike
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June 28th, 2009 at 7:17 pm
I recommend spraying the key liberally with WD-40 and wrapping it in an oily rag inside the plastic bag. It may be years before you need the key, and I’ve found that they can corrode to the point that they are unusable.
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Kevin Reply:
June 28th, 2009 at 7:26 pm
Al — great idea! I had to retrieve my key (it had been in place for about 4 years, untouched) and it was ok, but I’ll follow your recommendation just in case.
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July 17th, 2009 at 11:03 pm
Great article! My husband and I actually make a really safe way to hide a key outside called a RocLok. It’s a cement based faux rock that not only looks like a real rock it weighs 9 pounds! But the really safe part about it is that it incorporates a combination lock on the bottom safe guarding your key. You get to set the code and can change it when you need to. Definately take a look: http://www.roclok.com
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August 27th, 2009 at 11:33 am
One thing to think about…I used a standard rock hide a key to hide my spare key outside. My neighbor was having issues with his cable recently. So, while I wasn’t home, some utility people came over to check his cable. Unbenounced to me, the cable was buried directly under the rocks where my key was hidden. Now my rock and key are missing. Make sure you hide your rock/key in a safe place so this doesn’t happen to you!
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September 22nd, 2009 at 5:27 am
Its much better if you will keep your key in the safer place. Where you can find it easily and bring it everywhere. Don’t trust somebody else to keep and hide your house key.
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October 10th, 2009 at 12:32 am
I bought one of these and I love it.
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/.....ogId=10053
I know it won’t go “walking off”.
The only thing is you have to remember the combination. It’s a small price to pay for piece of mind.
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December 1st, 2009 at 6:19 pm
Great article. I used to hide my spare house key in the bottom of the BBQ under the ceramic briquettes. Seemed like a good idea. Except who would have thought that the burglar’s family did the exact same thing. He spent 3 days in my house selling off my stuff while I was on vacation.
Lesson learned.
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December 17th, 2009 at 6:21 am
In the Rocky Mtns, lots of people walk around old neighborhoods with metal detectors, the perfect device for finding keys in landscape rocks and under mulch. Magnetic hide-a-key devices can fall off your car when you hit a bump, especially after they get rusty, or your mechanic may find your key while working on your car. However, I like the idea of wrapping the key in an oily rag before placing it in a plastic bag, but what if the ground gets frozen? Then of course you could bury the key in the alley or another location a block or 2 away from home; then if someone else found it, they would not know what house it belonged to. I was in a hurry to get to a restaurant before it closed, and recently locked myself out of the house. I borrowed a crowbar from a neighbor to raise one of my porch windows. When I needed an additional block of wood to leverage the crowbar, I walked around back of the house, only then to discover the key was hanging on the key chain draped out of my pocket all along.
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Kevin Reply:
December 17th, 2009 at 7:02 am
Perhaps someone commented to this effect, or maybe I saw it somewhere else… some people have worked out a deal where they hide a key outside their neighbor’s house, and the neighbor hides a key outside their (the first party’s) house. If anyone (a burglar, etc.) finds one of the keys, it won’t unlock the house they’re at. Of course, you can only do this only with really good friends!
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March 1st, 2010 at 11:38 pm
About keys outdoor –
1. J have 4 keys
2. I don´t have your gaget-
3. I live in Sweden
4. I don´ have a car
5. I live around public yard
Any ideas , not only suiting you ?
Jane
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Kevin Reply:
March 2nd, 2010 at 6:53 am
1. Getting into your home requires 4 keys?
2. What “gaget” do you refer to? Velcro? It’s just one option.
3. How is that pertinent?
4. Again, how is this relevant? A car isn’t necessary.
5. Perhaps hide a key at night… ?
The post is meant to illustrate a few general concepts for how one might hide a key. Perhaps you can use one of these, or get creative. I can’t prescribe how exactly you can go about doing that. Good luck.
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