Quickly Locksmith Guide: What to Do If You Are Locked Out of Your House?

• Step 1: Look for Open Windows or Unlocked Doors

Before you do anything else, check all entrances. If you are lucky enough, there may be an open window or unlocked door that can be used to access your home. If you enter through a window, remove any screens, lift the window, and slowly move through. Just watch out for any furniture located underneath the window.

• Step 2: Contact Someone You Know

If you are renting your home, your landlord will more than likely have a spare key. Hopefully, your landlord is close enough to help you out though. The other option is to contact the person you live with. It might be an inconvenience for them, but at least you have a way back in. If you live in an apartment building, the building manager may be able to give you access to your home again – this may attract a small fee.

• Step 3: Contact a Locksmith

If there is no way to access your apartment or home, it is time to contact a locksmith. Lockout fees vary depending on the locksmith and how urgently you require assistance. Calling a locksmith is one of the more convenient ways to get back inside your home. Plus, it limits damage to your locks.

• Step 4: Go the DIY Route

This is not recommended, but it is an option. If a locksmith can’t get to your home right away or you simply want to avoid lockout fees, you can always improvise. Bobby pins and paper clips are two examples of items that you can bend to try and enter a door. You will need one L-shaped pin and one straight pin with a small W at the end. The bent pin holds the tool in place, while the W-shape helps move the pins around inside the lock. Again, this is not recommended because you could end up damaging the lock, which will cost more to repair.

Should your door have a standard spring bolt, you may be able to use a hard card to gain access. Keep in mind, you probably won’t be able to use this card again, so select a card you no longer need. You can now push and wiggle the card around to create a wedge that will slide the latch back.

As a side note, if you do manage to gain access to your home using either of these tools, you should consider upgrading your locks. If you could get in, a criminal can too.

• Step 5: Remove the Doorknob

This should be an absolute last resort. If the door you want to enter doesn’t have a locked deadbolt, removing the doorknob could give you access. You can do this by using a paper clip or bobby pin to apply pressure to the pin-sized hole on the side or below the doorknob. As you apply pressure, use your other hand to pull and turn the doorknob. Eventually, you should be able to remove the doorknob. Once the lockset is revealed, however, you will need another pin or a screwdriver to pull back on the locking mechanism.

If you have never attempted something like this, you can cause a lot of damage and create additional access problems. A locksmith should always be your first choice for gaining access when you don’t have a spare key.