How Can I Open a Locked Door?

Getting stuck outside due to a locked door is an embarrassing and stressful situation. The scenario becomes particularly awful if you do not have a spare kept with neighbors, or it occurs at odd hours. Thankfully, regardless of the door model and its locking mechanism, there are several avenues for a layman to open a locked door.

Sometimes, these techniques don’t work. If that happens, you should ask an expert in the door repair in Vancouver for help, so you don’t ruin the door. This is really important because some of the above steps need special skills that most people might not know.

Keep reading to discover more about these tips and tricks.

Method 1: Using a Bump Key

Needed Tool: a small hammer and a bump key.
Level of Difficulty: medium.

This method works for a layman and an expert as long as you have a specialized tool known as a bump key. Locksmiths can make one for you if you can’t make one yourself.

1. Find a bump key, then insert it in the concerned lock.
2. The key moves the pins upward till you get to the last one. Get a small hammer and hit the key. After hitting, turn the key, and the door opens.
3. The steps must be repeated till you achieve an appropriate timing. Else, the lock wouldn’t come off.

Method 2: Using a Pick Set

Needed Tools: a tension wrench and a lock pick.
Level of Difficulty: hard.

This is a proven method of getting out of a locked-out situation. However, it is usually done by experts or those trained to do so. There is a specialized Lock-picking set containing pins that you can insert inside a keyhole to do some pin manipulations. Follow these steps to get started.

1. Gather the needed materials. Try to put some tension on the lock by applying the wrench to its bottom.
2. The next thing is to put the pick just above the wrench. Move the pick upward to lift the pins one after the other.
3. The door automatically opens when the last pin is lifted.

Method 3: Using a Hex Wrench on an Interior Door

Needed Tools: a wrench (hex).
Level of Difficulty: medium.

This is one of the modernized ways of unlocking a door. A hex wrench is a specialized tool that can seamlessly fit into an interior door. It’s like a long screwdriver but with an L-shaped handle. You can easily get one at a local tool store. However, ensure that the door you wish to unlock has a hole within the door knob. Follow these steps to use the hex wrench.

1. Insert the long end of the wrench in the doorknob hole. Ensure you have the correct size and make it fit until you feel it’s grabbing something.
2. As you’re pushing the wrench in, turn it simultaneously till it touches the handle.
3. The door will open as soon as the wrench touches the handle with enough force.

Method 4: Using a Credit Card

Needed Tools: a plastic card.
Level of Difficulty: medium.

Using a credit card or, simply put, a plastic card is effective for simple and old doors. It’s not the most effective option when it comes to opening a door with a complex locking system. Follow these steps to use a credit card.

1. Get a non-functional card, as there’s a big chance that it will be damaged during use. Ensure it’s a laminated card.
2. Find a narrow gap between the door and its frame. Insert the card within this gap, just above the lock.
3. The aim is to get the card to the narrow gap between the bolt and door frame. Hence, you’ll need to place it at a right angle to the door. You must keep pushing the card until it gets to the narrow gap behind the bolt. Ensure you’re also trying to twist the handle as you slide the card.

Method 5: Using Brute Force

Needed Tools: battering ram.
Level of Difficulty: hard.

This is a relatively traditional and crude way to Unlock a Door Without a Key. This method doesn’t need a locksmith except if you’re dealing with a reinforced material with a huge door cylinder. These are the steps:

1. Stand directly facing the concerned door and focus on the lock. The essence of this is to ensure that the force isn’t diverted to other components of the door, thereby causing unnecessary damage.
2. Send a straight blow with your legs to the lock. Repeat this until the lock is damaged.
3. If there aren’t any changes despite several kicks, you should get a “battering ram”. The ram is usually a metallic object or a heavy wood. Stand sideways and send a force to the lock.

Method 6: Remove the Doorknob

Needed Tools: screwdrivers.
Level of Difficulty: medium.

Removing the doorknob seems straightforward, but going this route might damage the lock. Most newer door knobs have visible screws holding them together, which you can unscrew. Follow this guide to remove the door knob.

1. Find a toolbox containing a screwdriver and locate the screws fastening the knob.
2. There might be a rose covering the screws; otherwise, insert a screwdriver directly into the space containing the screws, then twist.
3. As soon as the screws are off, the knob goes off. This method is remarkably seamless when you’re inside the property rather than outside.

Method 7: Using Bobby Pin, Knife, Scissors

Needed Tools: bobby pin, knife, scissors.
Level of Difficulty: hard.

Using a bobby pin is similar to opening a locked door with a lock-picking set. The difference is that you’ll be using crude materials like a bobby pin. Find two bobby pins, a knife or razor, and scissors, then follow these steps.

1. Spread the ends of the first pin apart, then remove its rubber end with a knife or scissors.
2. Twist the pin’s end by inserting it in the lock, transforming it into something like the handle of a tea mug.
3. Take the second pin to create a tension lever. You only need to bend the top one-third to form a hook.
4. Maneuver the lock by inserting the lever in the lock’s bottom, then, start shifting the pin upward with the first bobby pin.
5. The tension lever creates tension as you push the pin. Twist the lever counterclockwise to unlock the door after pushing every pin upward.

What If Nothing Works?

There are certain scenarios where these methods fail to deliver a fruitful result. If this happens, the next step is to call a door repair expert to avoid damaging the door completely. This is particularly crucial as some methods above require expert maneuvers which the common man might not be aware of.

Top Locksmith, a door repair company in Vancouver, known to help clients gain access to their property at any time of the day, can come to your rescue. We have a dedicated team of technicians armed with decades of knowledge and state-of-the-art equipment to help you solve issues like this. Kindly contact us at (604) 800-0496 if all these aforementioned methods prove abortive.