Most people have locked themselves out of somewhere important at one time or another, like their car, home, lock box or safe. There’s nothing worse than that sinking feeling you get when you realise you’ve locked yourself out after you’ve locked the keys in the car, or left your house keys inside and closed your locked door behind you, or broken your key off in the lock, or forgotten your combination…
If you’ve managed to lock yourself out, Ambassador Locksmiths are here to help save the day. We’ve put together some crucial tips to help you decide on the best course of action for whatever kind of “locked out” situation you find yourself in, or in case you want to know what to do should you lock yourself out in future.
What should you do if you lock yourself out?
Being locked out of your home can be scary, especially if your child is on the other side of your locked door, or you live in a rough neighbourhood, or it’s late at night. It also doesn’t look great if passersby, or neighbours you don’t know, see you trying to break into your own home.
The best course of action if you find you’ve locked yourself out will depend on where you’ve managed to lock yourself out of, and how. If you find yourself locked out of your house, you could:
Contact someone else who has a key
Your first port of call is to contact someone else who has a key – a person you live with, someone you’ve given a spare key to, your real estate agent (if you’re a renter) or landlord.
Ask a neighbour for help
If you’re on friendly terms with your neighbours you could try asking for help – they may be able to help you open the lock on your door, jimmy open a window, or give you a boost into an open window; at the very least, they can make you a cuppa and help keep you calm while you wait for help to arrive. If you don’t know your neighbours, now is the perfect time to introduce yourself! You never know, it could be the start of a beautiful friendship!
Check for an unlocked open or openable window
Check all the windows that may be accessible – if you happen to have an open window, there’s your entry point. Alternatively, if you have an unlocked window, you might find you’re able to jimmy it open with the help of a screwdriver. Be careful not to damage the window lock or frame in the process though.
Call a locksmith
If you can’t get a key from someone else, or you can’t afford to wait for someone who has a key, and there’s no other way to get into your home, or no-one to help you try, your best option is to contact a locksmith. Costs will vary, depending on where you live and the type of lock you have, and there will likely be an emergency call-out fee – but you may find that calling a locksmith is cheaper and faster than replacing a damaged door or window.
While you have the locksmith around, it might be worth talking to them about having an extra key cut, which you could ask a trusted neighbour to hold onto or keep secure in an external wall-mounted key safe, or you could even discuss options like keyless digital or biometric locks.
What NOT to do if you’ve locked yourself out
Locked out of your house
There are plenty of YouTube videos that will walk you through picking your lock and plenty of websites that will give you advice on trying to break into your home by using a credit card to jimmy the lock on your door or window, or removing your doorknob, or popping your door off its hinges… by all means, try them out – however, be aware that these methods are unlikely to work.
It’s also inadvisable to try removing roof tiles and entering your home through the roof or trying to climb down the chimney (if you have one).
Breaking down the door or breaking a window should be your very last resort, preferably used only in an absolute emergency when you need to get into your home immediately, as there may be serious risks involved. In breaking the window you could cut yourself, particularly if you try to climb through that broken window, and you could injure yourself trying to break the door down, as most exterior doors are solid wood, so aren’t easily kicked or rammed in.
If you decide to use a tool such as an axe to hack your door open, you need to be mindful of anything on the other side of the door that could be damaged or injured (like your child). Then there are the costs involved with replacing a window or door, and it will likely be a longer wait for someone to come and replace your window or door than simply calling a locksmith.
Locked out of your safe or lock box
If you’ve managed to lock yourself out of your safe or lock box, your first port of call should be the instruction booklet that came with the safe. Your instruction manual should be able to tell you whether there is a way to reset the lock or keycode and guide you through the steps required to access the safe.
If you don’t have the instruction guide that came with your safe, or you can’t find it, your best bet is to contact a locksmith. They will be able to help you to quickly and easily gain access to your safe and your valuables.
Locked out? Ambassador Locksmiths can help get you back in!
Ambassador Locksmiths are Newcastle’s and Lake Macquarie’s “locked out” specialists. We’ve been helping people in the Newcastle region with their lock emergencies since 2000. Whether you’ve left your keys inside, broken your key off in the lock, forgotten the combination to your safe or lost the keys to your window lock, Ambassador Locksmiths can help you get back in.
We offer a full range of commercial and residential locksmith services, including a 24-hour lockout emergency service for those inconvenient occasions when you lock yourself out and you need to get back in ASAP.
For more information on how Ambassador Locksmiths can help with your lock and key problems, call us today on 0407 452 424 or (02) 4942 2202. Alternatively, send us an email at info@ambassadorlocksmiths.com.au or fill out our online contact form and we’ll be in touch with you shortly.