Locking yourself out of your home can be very annoying, especially if you are in a rush to do something. If there are pets or kids inside who need food soon, you will probably get even a bit panicky and frustrated.
Luckily, there are several ways to get into your home even in this situation.
1. Look for unlocked windows or doors
Even though it’s recommendable to lock all your windows and doors to prevent invaders from getting in, it would be fortunate to find an unlocked door or window when you lock yourself out. So, it doesn’t hurt to check all the entrances and see if you have forgotten to lock one of them.
If there’s a window through which you can enter your home, remove the screen first, lift the window, and then slip through it. Just be careful – you can easily lose your balance while doing it. And mind the furniture and other items on the other side of the window.
2. Improvise Tools
It’s much trickier to pick a lock than it seems in the movies. Still, you can try this trick even if you have never done it before. If you have some bobby pins or paper clips within your reach, you could use them as DIY locksmithing tools for picking the lock.
It will be easiest for you if you have two items of the same kind but it’s possible to pick a lock even if you have just one – just break it in half to get two pieces.
First, bend one piece into an “L” shape, tuning it into the tension rod which will hold the lock in place. Next, straighten the other piece and bend a “W” at the end, into the wire – it will unlatch the pins located in the lock. Hold the L-shaped piece firmly, keeping the tension inside the lock while using the other piece to feel the pins. When you feel the pins, push them with the second piece to unlock.
A hard-plastic card is useful for a standard spring bolt. Just choose a card that you don’t care about destroying, such as a gift card. Insert it between the door and the frame, right at the latch, then hold it perpendicular to the door. Push and wiggle the card around, simultaneously bending it away from the doorknob to slide the latch back away from the doorjamb. Use your weight to push the door while bending the card. Lastly, slide the card between the doorframe and the latch, which will allow you to open the door by pushing.
3. Call a locksmith
Of course, if you are locked out of your home due to the keys you’ve lost and you have time, it’s best to call a professional locksmith in Sydney. A quick phone search will tell you which locksmiths are in the area, ready to come quickly and help you. Whether they will simply remove the lock or will have to break into the door depends on your lock. In most cases, it won’t take more than an hour for them to get the job done, so if you are in no rush, it’s best to let them do it. They will definitely damage the lock and the door minimally, or not at all, unlike amateurs.
4. Go to the neighbor’s
A neighbor can come in handy for several reasons. First of all, they can help you climb up to reach an unlocked window that’s too high for you. Secondly, they may have a coat hanger, a shoestring or even a screwdriver and a rod, which you can use for unlocking the door. Maybe they can even give you a hand while you are trying to pick the lock.
5. Take off the doorknob
If the deadbolt on the door isn’t locked, you can enter your home by removing the doorknob. Many doorknobs have mounting screws or concealed connections but there’s also a pin-sized slot or hole to the side of the doorknob or below it; just look closely.
First, take a thin piece of metal, such as a paper clip or a bobby pin, insert it into the hole and apply pressure. There will be some resistance, so keep pushing using one hand while pulling and turning the doorknob with the other. Do it until you have removed the doorknob, and then the only thing to do is to pry off the decorative plate hiding the lockset. Use the bobby pin or a screwdriver to pull back on the locking mechanism until the door gets unlocked.
5.
All in all
We have all experienced staying locked out at least once in our lives. The point is to remain calm and not to lose your nerve; it will help you come up with the best option available to you at that moment.