Follow these guidelines and, if all else fails, contact a trusted Newcastle locksmith
You had a long day at work, you feel hot and grubby and you just can’t wait to hit the shower. You are on your doorstep when you realise that your keys are nowhere in your bag and you are locked out of your home. What should you do? The team here at Ambassador Locksmiths in Charlestown, NSW, are here to offer some advice in your time of need.
8 things to try when you get locked out of your home
If you are the type of person who forgets just about everything, including your house and car keys, you must have a backup plan in place. Here are what you should and should not do in case you get locked out of your home.
1. Keep calm
The first thing that you should not do is to panic. You may have left a toddler inside the home, or maybe a hyperactive dog, but panicking will not do you any good. In fact, it may aggravate the situation. Instead, breathe deep – it’s not a cliché, it really works – and think of ways to get inside the house.
2. Check with family members or friends if they have a spare key
You might have given your friends or family members an extra pair of keys and have completely forgotten about it. They should be the first persons that you call and ask. If none of them has a key to your home, check with your landlord if you are renting, or the manager’s office if you line in a home complex. If you decide to give someone a spare set of keys to your home, make sure you know the person and trust them completely.
3. Look for other access points
Check the back door or windows if you left one open. Although this encourages strangers, especially burglars, to enter your house, an open door or window can be your saviour in this case. Just make sure not to make it a habit to leave windows or the back door open when you go out.
4. Try some DIY tricks
You’ve seen them open a locked door with paper clips or bobby pins on TV, it’s time to try if they really work. You may find that this DIY hack is not as easy as it looks. Of course, modern lock-making technology is supposed to make it difficult to pick a lock, but it’s worth a go. If in doubt, though, contact your local locksmith. If you’re anywhere near Newcastle, contact Ambassador Locksmiths.
5. Try the infamous credit card trick
This is another DIY hack: The infamous credit card trick. Make sure you grab a card that is made with thick plastic. It could be a credit card, a debit card or an ID card. Your business card is not thick enough and will probably not cut it.
Wedge the card between the door and the frame. Jiggle and press the handle a bit forcefully. You can also try to hit the locking mechanism with the card and then press it to unlock the door. This is something that not everyone can do, so you will earn bragging rights if you open the door.
6. Unscrew and take apart the doorknob
Unscrewing the doorknob will work as long as the deadbolt is not locked. Most doorknobs can be taken apart using just a screwdriver. But you probably don’t go around carrying a screwdriver with you. Ask help from a trusted neighbour.
Use a screwdriver to take off all the screws that hold the knob in place, and then the hinge screws follow. Once you succeed in opening your door using this trick, make sure you put the knob back in place to avoid uninvited visitors from entering your home.
7. Force yourself in
When all else fails and you really have to get into your home immediately, you may need to break-in. You might want to go in through a back door or window because this might cause a commotion in your neighbourhood.
Kicking the door hard near the knob may be enough to get you in. We don’t recommend breaking windows because broken glass is riskier and can cut you easily, so set this aside for actual emergencies. Besides, breaking a window these days is a lot harder than you might think.
8. Call an emergency locksmith
Before you break down your door or take apart your doorknob, we suggest calling your local locksmith. Ambassador Locksmiths are a trustworthy emergency locksmith team who are on call 24/7 so that you can be sure that there is someone to help if you get locked out of your home at any time of the day.
Locksmiths are able to open up locked doors even without keys and still keep the integrity of your door lock intact. In addition, they can open most doors using their special tools, so there is no need for you to replace your door lock or doorknob.
In some rare cases, they will remove the lock or doorknob by drilling, calling for a need to replace the cylinder, if not the entire lock.
How to prevent yourself from being locked out of your home in the future
Getting locked out of your home is not the worst thing; however, it can be most stressful, so it is for the best to try to avoid going through it again. Here are some helpful tips to prevent yourself from being locked out of your home again.
- Think about replacing your home’s traditional locks with keypad locks. Some commercial establishments already utilise electronic access control locking systems, which allow personnel to go in and out without having to use mechanical keys.
- Carry a spare key. The best place to keep a spare key is between your cell phone its case. That way, there is quite a slim chance that you will forget it.
- Always double-check. Make it a part of your routine always to check that you have your keys with you before you walk out the door. Add it to your routine check, which includes making sure that the stove is off, the lights are out, and you have your cell phone and wallet.
Contact Ambassador Locksmith for 24/7 emergency lock out services.
If you have found yourself locked out of your home, contact Ambassador Locksmiths. We provide emergency lock out services round the clock for Newcastle and Lake Macquarie residents. Our team can install commercial locks, electronic access control systems, deadlocks, safes and much more. Call us on 0407 452 424 and (02) 4942 2202 or email info@ambassadorlocksmiths.com.au for enquiries.