A properly closed door makes you feel safe at home, but it can also become a source of irritation when the lock does not work properly or when you lock yourself outside with the keys inside. Remember that before you start picking the lock or forcing the door, you need to make sure that you have no other choice. Take into account that some of the methods offered here can take quite a long time to learn. It goes without saying that it is only a question of opening your own door so as not to break the laws.
Steps
Method 1 of 6: Use an impact wrench
Step 1. Open a pin lock
Using an impact key is a quick and easy way to unlock a locked door, especially useful for doors that have been locked for a long time (for example, the door of an abandoned house or that of an uninhabited building that is on your doorstep. land) or to open the door of an elderly person who you think is in distress.
Not everyone using an impact key is given and the maneuver can damage the lock, especially if it is a poor quality lock, so think twice before doing so
Step 2. Obtain an impact wrench
This will go into the lock you want to open, without being the “right” key. Any key that goes into the lock can become an impact key if all the teeth of the bit are rasped as much as possible.
Most serious locksmiths will refuse to make you an impact key, but you can buy one online. To make one yourself, you will need some metalworking tools and some patience
Step 3. Push in the impact wrench
You will have to go to the last pin of the lock. Pin and trim locks consist of a round segment that turns when the pins align to let it turn. All the "clicks" you hear when you put a key in a lock come from the lifting of a pin by a tooth. The noise is produced when the pin falls into one of the spaces in the key bit of the key. Push your impact key into the lock until only one pin remains to lift.
Step 4. Press down on the percussion key and turn it
Using a rubber mallet or the like, bang the percussion key firmly, then immediately turn it. As the pins inside the lock are made up of two parts, the hammer blow will put pressure on the lower part (which rests on the cylinder) which will then transfer this pressure to the upper parts (which prevent the pin from moving.). If all pins are lifted in this way, the lock will be able to open.
The sequence of actions can be a bit difficult to achieve, but persevere and it will eventually work
Method 2 of 6: Pick the lock
Step 1. Use a hook kit to open the lock
This is a precise and difficult technique to master that is generally taught only to bona fide locksmiths. Selling the necessary materials is also limited to professional locksmiths, but with a little creativity you can make some yourself.
Step 2. Craft your tools
For weak locks paper clips should suffice, for more difficult locks you may need bobby pins and wire cutters. The most important thing is to use a metal that is strong enough for the hook and the tensioner that make up the tool.
- The best material is spring steel because it is strong and can be sharpened using a metal rasp. The blades of the hacksaw are made of spring steel. Think carefully about the thickness of the blade. A blade that is too thick will not fit all the locks.
- The tensioner is "L" shaped, its role is to apply pressure to the lower part of the lock. You can make a tensioner from an Allen key. All you have to do is smooth it out using a metal rasp.
- The hook itself is shaped like a lowercase "r". It is used to move the pins so that the lock can turn.
Step 3. Insert the tensioner
Push it down to the bottom of the lock. Apply constant pressure as you crochet. If you don't use a tensioner, it will take you longer and risk failure.
If you are not sure which direction you should push the tensioner, insert it into the lock and turn it one way. Quickly remove the hook and be on the lookout for any noise made by the lock. When you turn in the right direction you will hear the pins drop
Step 4. Insert the hook over the turnbuckle
Use the short end of the hook to find and push each pin up and out of the barrel. After all of the pins have been moved, the door should open. As said above, this is a very delicate technique. You will therefore have to practice with separate locks of a door if you want to master it.
Method 3 of 6: Use a hex key to open a secondary door
Step 1. Use a hex key to open doors around the house
Most of the side doors that have been manufactured in the last few decades have a special handle that allows the door to be unlocked in the event of accidental locking. If your door handle has a small circular hole in the middle, it is one of those locks.
Step 2. Obtain a hex key
You can find hex wrenches, also known as "Allen wrenches", for a good price at most home improvement stores. They are small pieces of metal in the shape of an "L". There are a multitude of sizes and widths.
Step 3. Insert the long end of the hex key into the hole in the handle
You may have to try on several sizes before you find the right one, but generally this goes without saying. The insertion must be done without difficulty. You do not have to force or pull in all directions for the key to enter. If you insert the key frontally by moving it back and forth, you should feel it grabbing something.
Step 4. Turn the key to open the door
Once the key is fully seated in the handle, a simple push to the right or left should unlock the door. And that without forcing.
Method 4 of 6: Use a bank card
Step 1. Open a simple lock using a bank card
This popular method works less and less on modern doors, but with an older door, it is still your best bet if you have locked yourself outside.
Laminated cards work the best. Choose a flexible card that you don't care too much about (it might get damaged). It can happen that the bank card is damaged so much that it no longer works
Step 2. Insert the bank card between the door and the door jamb
Slide the long end of the bank card between the door jamb and the door lock, just above where the two make contact.
Tilt the card down and try to insert it behind the door lock. The card should be perpendicular to the door
Step 3. Slowly pull the card out towards you
You will need to operate firmly while turning the handle. If you are lucky, the card will slip between the beveled part of the lock and the door jamb and you can fully separate the lock from the jamb by pulling the card towards you. The door will open, at least as long as the card is between the lock and the hole.
Obviously, this technique will not work if the door has been locked with the safety lock engaged. Security locks are not bevelled. Fortunately, it is impossible to move the security lock from outside without the keys
Method 5 of 6: crochet a car door
Step 1. Hook a car door
Even though "slim jims" (a tool specially made to force locked car doors) are generally prohibited for sale, you can make yourself one with a wire hanger. If you've locked your car with your keys inside, you can save yourself the cost and embarrassment of calling a locksmith if you have access to a wire hanger in some way.
Step 2. Unfold and flatten the hanger
You can leave the hook in place. On the other hand, you have to unfold the rest of the hanger, so that you end up with a long metal rod with a hook at the end.
Step 3. Lift the rain-proof caulk from the driver's side window
Insert the hook into the rubber caulk, until it reaches the bottom of the window. The hook is now inside the door.
Step 4. Move the hook to find a latch
The latch is usually located about ten centimeters below the window, at the door lock.
Step 5. Hook the latch and pull it out
Using the hook, grab the latch and pull it towards the rear of the car. Any manually closed car door should then open.
If your car has an electric release button, you can also insert the pointed part of your metal rod through the top of the window and use it to activate this button
Method 6 of 6: Use brute force
Step 1. Kick open the door
In some emergency situations, the only choice you have is to break down the door. Be aware that this will damage the door jamb, the lock and often the door itself. This method is also more dangerous for you, it should only be used as a last resort.
- Adopt a strong posture. Stand in front of the door with a small tape measure between your feet, knees slightly bent. If possible, put your hands on a wall, furniture, or other object that will not move when you try to break down the door.
- Raise your good leg to knee height. Raise your right knee in front of you and let your other leg work out. Stay well in front of the door. Do not put yourself on the side and do not try things you do not master.
- Kick the door at the lock with your heel. This is a “flat” kick. Extend your leg fully in front of you so that the sole of your foot and heel touch the lock.
- It is safer to kick the door open. The feet are made to absorb shock and your shoes offer a lot of protection. Don't try pushing down the door with your shoulder, you will end up with a dislocated shoulder in front of a door that is still closed.
- Keep kicking until the lock releases from the door jamb. With a little time, it will eventually work on all the wooden doors.
- If you don't see any progress after a few minutes, the door may be armored. Take breaks so you don't weaken your kicks.
Step 2. For really stubborn doors, use a ram
If you decide, for whatever reason, to use a ram rather than a locksmith, you can make one out of a jackhammer of the kind you use to secure studs in the locksmith. ground.
- Get a jackhammer. It should be around 60-90cm, with rather long grips on both sides.
- Fill the jackhammer with cement. Make sure the cement is completely dry before using your new ram.
- Knock the door at the lock, with sideways swinging movements. Swing the ram towards the lock, holding it with both hands. Initially you need to be perpendicular to the door, then you need to lean over the ram and swing it towards the door. A few knocks should be enough for most doors.
- Remember that your door will be totally destroyed and you will need to find a new one.
Advice
- Call in a professional if possible. Nothing really replaces a locksmith (or a landlord with a passkey) when you have locked yourself out. The safest way to open a locked door is always to call a professional.
- Always start with the less drastic methods. If you can open the door with a bank card, you don't need to buy an impact wrench or make yourself a ram.
- Train yourself. If you intend to be a master at door lock picking, you are going to need to practice a lot. Nothing will make you progress faster than practice.
Warnings
- Do not try to kick the door in with your shoulder. It only works in the movies.
- In some countries it is forbidden to have locksmith tools if you are not a professional locksmith. Sometimes this also includes the tools you DIY. Do not use these tools unless you really need them.
- If you have locked yourself outside of a rental unit you are renting, call the janitor or landlord before trying to force the door. They may indeed have a pass key that can open the door. Be aware that forcing the door of a rented accommodation is an ambiguous act in the eyes of the law, especially if you damage the accommodation.
- Do not try to destroy the lock with a gun. You run the risk of debris breaking loose and injuring you, or even killing you. You also risk blocking the lock beyond repair.
- Entering elsewhere than at home is illegal. Avoid doing it.