A locked door provides a level of security. You know you and your loved ones are safe inside, or if you’re away that your belongings are. However, we have all been in a situation where we locked our keys in the car or forgot our keys before someone else left home.
Being locked out of your car or home is frustrating at best and panic-inducing at worst. There are however things you can do to get back into your home or car without waiting for rescue.
1) Pick the Locked Door
A method that works on tumbler locks but is complicated. Older locks might not require specific materials, just something that can serve as a tension wrench and something to pick at the pins. Unfurled paper clips, bobby pins, and wire hangers should do the trick.
It’s important to note two things here. One is that many locks, especially modern ones, require something sturdier than a makeshift pick. The second thing is the legality of a lock pick set. In places, you must be a certified locksmith to be allowed possession, in Arizona they are legal, but you must show intent when carrying.
2) Bump Open a Tumbler Lock
Bumping open a lock involves knocking an implement (usually a bump key) to the highest pin. Once you hear a click it can be turned and opened. There are several ways this can be accomplished. The first way is to order a key online and fill the ends into a bump key. Others involve the use of similar flat grooved instruments.
You can either get the tumbler pins to align with the use of the implement alone or you can use an instrument to hammer the bump key into the lock, forcing it open. Particularly useful if a lock is frozen shut or long abandoned.
3) Credit Card Method
Perhaps you’re not trapped outside the house or car, but rather inside your home. Or perhaps your toddler managed to lock themselves in the bathroom? The credit card method will work here and on older exterior locks.
Simply take a laminated card (credit card, membership card, ID, etc) and slide it horizontally downward between the door and the frame above the knob. Once it catches pull the card toward you while turning the doorknob. This should open the locked door.
4) Hex Wrench (Allan Key) Open an Interior Locked Door
Another method to get inside a locked room inside your home is to use a hex key or Allan key to unlock the door. You’ll likely already have one or two as they’re required for putting together most furniture today. However, you can get a set at any hardware store.
Use the wrench by pressing the long end into the knob lock. Fit it into the lock until it catches, from here you should be able to turn the key and open the door.
5) Get Passed Your Car’s Locked Door
Stepping away from the home for a moment, let’s discuss how to get into your car. We’ve all sadly had those moments where we’ve locked our keys in the car. If you have access to a coat hanger you might be able to bypass expansive and embarrassing calls to AAA or a tow truck.
Unfurl the wire hanger so that it can slip between the window and door with the hook still intact. Once you do this remove the weather stripping and jimmy the hook into the door. From here you should be able to look for the latch. Once the hook catches, lift and the lock should release.
Exercise Caution When Using These Methods on a Locked Door.
All these methods listed risk damaging the lock or door. This can be expensive to repair and if you rent might not sit well with the landlord. Only use these methods in the event of an emergency. Your best tip is to call a qualified locksmith to remedy the situation.
King Locksmith operates in Phoenix, AZ, and will respond in minutes so you can get back into your home and on with your day.
