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Have you ever gotten locked out of your home or car and didn’t have the access to be able to call a locksmith? We all have these random moments where you might have locked a door and don’t have access to a phone or have a door in the home that is stuck and might not necessarily need to hire a locksmith.
You might have left the keys to your office at home and need to get into the building for a client or you might have forgotten your keys at a friend’s place after a night out and don’t want to bother changing the locks entirely, but you also don’t want to wait outside while someone brings you your keys.
These things happen often and for that, a list of quick tips have been compiled for those moments when life throws a little spanner in the works.
Paperclip or a Miniature Flat Head Screwdriver
Household locks are made for the purpose of privacy and don’t really require the assistance of a Locksmith if it gets jammed.
Kids are fan favourites of getting themselves locked in either the bedroom or the bathroom and for those emergencies, you really only need a paper clip or a miniature flathead screwdriver similar to the ones that optometrists use to adjust the tightness of your spectacles.
There is a little hole on the side where you don’t lock the door and when you insert and object into it, pops open the locking mechanism to release the lock and open the door. You will not need to replace the lock if this trick is successful.
Kicking in the Door
A movie favourite is always when the police kick in the door to get to the bad guys. This can be a really successful trick to use, but you will definitely need the assistance of an ADA Locksmith and a new door along with some major repairs to the lock.
Opening an Older Lock
If it’s a lock that has given you problems with its locking mechanism and you just never made the time to get it repaired then you will want to focus on getting a metal lubricant to unjam the door.
Using a heavy oil lubricant similar to those used on car parts will help to get the key turning and maybe even save you the trouble of replacing the lock at all.
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Using Your Credit Card
Every detective movie or series shows you a scene where someone successfully opens a hotel or front door with a credit card. It looks so simple that it could almost be unbelievable, but it is a very real trick, and it is pretty simple to do.
It might take a bit of pressure to push the door back so that you can get the card in between the door latch and the lock frame, but once you do, the latch can be released and the locked door should open the door without too much damage to the mechanism.
Remember to apply pressure when you are pushing the door back and to use a bit of force by pressing and wiggling the card in the space at the same time. Once you get the card in between the latch you should be able to pop it back into its place to open the door.
Using a Drill
Drilling just above the key slot/hole will push out the pins so you can easily turn the key to get the door to open. You will need to make sure you get all 5 or 6 pins to make the lock easy to turn. This is the last resort because if it is being done on the main entry door the lock will need to be replaced immediately.
Unlike using a credit card, drilling removes the pins holding the lock in place and destroys the locking mechanism so it cannot be used again.
If You’re Locked Out of Your Car
There are 3 methods for unlocking a car door that is also movie favourites. The first is the tennis ball trick. Make a hole in the tennis ball and place it over the keyhole.
Hit the back of the tennis ball until the lock pops up and you can open the door. This air pressure created by the tennis ball pushes the locking mechanism back so that it releases the lock.
The second trick is using a wire. You need to straighten the wire and then bend only the tip into the shape of a hook. By pushing the window and making space for the wire to go in, you can push it down between the panels and use the hook to open the lock.
It might take a few tries to get the lock to open, but it’s similar to fishing and just needs a bit of pulling until you have it opened.
The last method is with a shoelace. Make a loop in the middle of your shoelace and pull it between the door and the car. Again the idea here is to create some kind of hook release by catching the locking mechanism in the loop and then fishing it up until it releases and the door opens.
You might not get it on the first try, but it is much easier to do than the other 2 methods. Once you have the lock in the loop, apply gentle pressure and pull it till the lock pops up. Remember not to pull it very hard so that you don’t end up jamming the shoelace in the door as well.
These tricks seem fairly easy to do when you really need to open a door yourself. However, do consider ADP Locksmith for bigger jobs. It might just save you a whole lot more than just the lock.
