What to do when you’re locked out of your house
A vast majority of people understand the frustration and stress related to being locked out of their home. Locks are mechanisms that had been utilized for centuries in order to secure doors, windows, and other boxes to prevent them from being accessed by thieving hands. But there are always cases when they act as barriers and prevent us from entering our own homes.
A lockout can cause a serious problem, being separated from your children, pets, or a cooking meal, there are times you need to get back into your home as quickly as possible. Fortunately, we have several tips and tricks to help you should you find yourself locked out so you can get back inside and make sure you and your family remain safe.
1 Look for unlocked windows or doors
When locked out of your home, the first step to regaining entry is to check for any unlocked doors or windows. There is a chance that they will be unlocked, giving you another way to enter the home. If this is the case you will save both time and potential frustration. No one likes being trapped outside of their home and as mentioned above, this can cause many potentially frustrating and dangerous situations. The faster you resolve the situation, the better off you will be.
2 Reaching out for help
If you have been unsuccessful after checking your home for other points of entry, calling family or those who you live with is the next best step. Chances are that another person who has a key to unlock the door, can grant you access, and will be able to assist you. This may be a bit easier if you live in an apartment complex. If you reach out to your landlord or maintenance personnel, they will help you get in with their master key. This is a reliable way to get back into your home.
It is not guaranteed that anyone will be available to come to your rescue and help you unlock your door. But, if you’ve reached this point and are unable to get ahold of someone to help, there are still several options available to you.
3 Pick the lock
You can always try removing the door handle or picking the lock. This is not as easy as it sounds and depending on the type of lock you have, you may not be successful. Simple tools like a flathead screwdriver, a paperclip or piece of wire, or even a credit card, can be useful in disengaging the latch and granting you access to your home. If you can find an easy way to regain entry to your home by picking the lock, it is worth a try. Picking a lock is not as easy as it looks in the movies. If you are able to gain entry this way, it is worth considering upgrading your door security. If it’s easy for you to pick the lock or break in with a credit card, it will be just as easy for a burglar to use the same tricks to break in.
4 Locksmith
Without a key, the best recourse to get back into your home would be to call a locksmith. Locksmiths have both the proper training and tools to help you unlock your door without a key. However, using a locksmith can be both time-consuming and expensive. The average hourly rate for a locksmith is between $50-$100 during business hours. The locksmith cost can vary after hours and on holidays which can make it even more expensive.
Depending on your lock and the security you have on your home, it can take over 30 minutes for even a trained person to pick a lock. And you’re not just paying for the time they are working on the lock but for transportation time as well. Using a locksmith as a resource is a good last resort and is much better than breaking a window or doing something dangerous to try and enter your home.
Emergency Solutions
In the case of an emergency, you can always resort to calling the police. If you find yourself in a situation where others are in danger because you are locked out of your home, calling the police to respond may be the fastest option. Usually, if you can prove residency with an ID and car registration, they are more than happy to help you. Although a viable option, emergency services such as the Police force or Fire Brigade are exactly that, emergency services. If you can afford to wait, it is better to call a locksmith who will have better tools to get you into your home.
Future Solutions
Being prepared is always the best way to prevent a problem. If you have experienced a lockout or are looking to have solutions ready for any possible situation, there are many different ways to be prepared. Here are a few ideas and solutions to be prepared if you find yourself locked outside your home.
Hidden Keys
Fake rock hide-a-key devices are well known and are commonly sold in both superstores and across the internet. This is a fairly obvious trick and it’s unfortunately easy to spot these sorts of devices. Hiding the rock in the back of your yard, or in another place which is less conspicuous than to the side of your front porch will offer you better results. There are many other common places like under the door-mat or in a planter, that people use to hide their keys. However, these are both poor choices and should not be used for hiding a key. Most people know to look in these places for a key, leaving your home unnecessarily vulnerable. If you want to hide a key, take special care of where and how you hide one. Don’t put yourself at risk for the small chance that you’ll need to use your spare.
Duplicating keys in order to make sure that every adult who lives in the home has a key or that a trusted individual who lives around you has a copy, is a great way to make sure that you will have someone around with a key to help you get into your home. Beware that having too many keys may cause a need to rekey your home. Having adequate copies of your keys is a balancing act between safety and convenience.
Electronic Door locks
The safest way to prevent yourself from being locked out is by purchasing electronic door locks. Electronic door locks, often known as smart locks, are a great way to add the protection of a deadbolt without the need for a key. Having a programmable code that can be unlocked at any time, will allow you to get back into your home and is much more secure than hiding a key or depending on a friend or locksmith to get you back in.
Another great thing about electronic door locks is the fact that they can not be picked in the traditional sense. The honest reality is that locks keep honest people honest and dissuade lazy criminals. Preventing intruders from finding hidden keys or picking a lock is extremely easy with an automated door lock. With current advancements in security technology, door locks are an affordable way to increase the security of your home and are easy to install.
Window and Door Sensors
Unfortunately, even if you have taken all of these precautions, if someone really does want to get into your home, they can. In this eventuality make sure you have a monitored home security system that contacts the authorities so that they can respond quickly and make sure you and your belongings are alright. Cove Security offers just such a system. Cove boasts affordable and effective door, window, and glass break sensors that will alert you and the police if a burglar uses some of these or similar tactics to enter your home. Increase the protection of your home today by installing a Cove Security System.