You come home only to discover you’ve locked yourself out of your house. You don’t have the key to get in and you are frustrated. What can you do?
Where Are Your Spare House Keys?
First, consider whether or not someone else has a house key. If you gave one to a trusted friend, family member, housemate, or neighbor, try calling them on the phone to ask for their help. If they can help, they will– and it’ll just take some waiting time before they arrive with the spare key. If the weather is cold outside, you could always wait in your heated vehicle and/or ask someone nearby if you could wait in their house until help arrives.
Unlocked Windows
Next, if you have locked yourself out, and you don’t know of any spare key options, look for an unlocked window. Remove the screen, lift up the window, and wiggle your way inside if possible. For those who have locked windows, it’s not unheard of to physically break the glass window in order to unlock it… sure, you’ll have to replace the glass later on, but for some, this option works.
Cards
Also, if you have spring bolts– the kind on typical door knobs– you can try using a plastic credit card (or other laminated card) to unlock the lock. You insert the card between the frame and latch point, pushing the card, bending it away from the door knob. Push your own weight against the door while bending the card. If this works, the latch will slide back and away from the door jam and you’ll get in.
Try to Remove the Knob
Another option is to literally remove the door knob. Look for a tiny hole or slot below or to the side of the door knob. Use a paper clip to apply pressure into this hole while pulling/twisting the knob with your other hand. This can remove the door knob. Take off the decorative plate and you’ll see the lockset. Use your paperclip or other tool to pull back the locking mechanism and you should be able to unlock the door.
If all of these ideas aren’t working for you, call JC Security at 920-716-4449 to professionally unlock your door.