There are few things worse than being locked out of your own home. Especially when the weather is particularly poor or you are in a hurry for whatever reason.
Before you panic, take a moment to review these simple steps in order to gain entry. You never know, you might be lucky enough to find a way in without calling a locksmith.
Establishing the reason
If you have locked your keys inside your home, forgotten them at work or lost your house keys, these are all quite common and can happen to anyone. If you know for a fact that your keys are safe at work but you are not able to go back to retrieve them, you will not need to worry about replacing the locks.
The same goes for keys that are locked inside your home. If, however, your keys are lost or stolen, you might want to call a locksmith right away for a lock replacement.
Spare keys
The first thing you want to do is consider where any spare keys could be. Do you have an extra key in your car, hidden somewhere in your front yard or perhaps with a neighbor or friend?
If so, do what you can to get your hands on that spare key so that you can at least get inside your home. Even if you need a new lock, you can rather wait for the locksmith from the comfort of your home rather than your front porch or car.
Points of entry
Another good idea is to look around your property for any other potential points of entry. These include upstairs windows too! If you have a two-story home and you can get your hands on a ladder, you could access a partially open window and gain entry in this way.
Doggy doors are also a popular choice but be careful. Every year there are cases of people getting stuck in doggy doors that were smaller than they initially seemed!
DIY attempt
This step is only recommended for those with DIY and lock experience! You will need to get your hands on various tools, including a screwdriver, in order to remove the lock completely.
This also does not work if you have more sophisticated, high-security locks. These locks cannot simply be removed and they are by no means easy to pick or bump.
Call a locksmith
In many cases, calling a locksmith near you is the best course of action. Make sure that you choose a reputable professional with the appropriate credentials. Once you have made the call, make sure that they are able to arrive quickly.
They should arrive prepared with the tools needed to unlock the door and they should be able to provide you with any other assistance, like a lock replacement, if needed.
Home lockouts are one of the main reasons why so many people today choose keypads and keyless locks. Instead of relying on a conventional key and lock system, you can open your front door with a code or even your mobile device!
So, if you find that you or your loved ones misplace those house keys on a regular basis, ask your local locksmith about keyless options.
(Syndicated Press Content)
