Five Things Not to Do If You Lock Yourself Out of the House

If you lock yourself out of your home, you may be wondering what you should do. If you have smart locks, you can simply charge your phone and let yourself in through your app, but if you have traditional keyed locks, you need to call a professional who provides lockout services. In the meantime, here are five things you should not do.

1. Don't Panic

It can be scary and frustrating if you lock yourself out of your home, but you shouldn't panic. Although the situation may feel dire, there is a relatively easy solution. If you call a professional who offers lockout services, they can easily open your locks, without damaging them, and they can let you back into the home. In most cases, these services are fast, reliable and affordable.

2. Don't Try to Pick the Lock

There are all kinds of tips online about how to pick locks. They range from using hair pins to tension wrenches, and with some practice, some people can pick locks. However, if you don't have experience, you may end up damaging the lock.

Locks have chambers that contain a series of bumps in a certain order. The unique pattern of those dips and ridges in the chamber is what allows one key to open that lock but not another key. If you push pieces of metal such as hairpins or other items into your lock, you may end up damaging the chamber. Then, your lock won't provide the security you need.

If you decide to ignore this advice and you successfully pick your lock, remember that that means anyone else can pick your lock as well. To be on the safe, replace your locks.

3. Don't Break in Through the Windows

In lieu of picking the lock, some people try to break in through the windows of their homes. This can work in a pinch, but it can also be expensive. Generally, to break in through a window, you have to remove the screen and potentially break the glass.

When you take off the screen forcibly from the outside, you generally damage it to the extent that it won't fit in the window correctly ever again. Additionally, if you break a window, getting it repaired is likely to cost more than lockout services.

4. Don't Hide a Key

To avoid locking themselves out of their homes, some people opt to hide a key. This was a common practice for so long that thieves know where to look. Generally, they are going to check under your mat or under any other items on your front porch, and then, they'll look in your mailbox.

This compromises your home security and makes it much easier for thieves to get into your home. To avoid this risk, you should not hide a key. If you want to have a spare handy, give one to a neighbour you trust.

5. Don't Forget Your ID

In many cases, the lockout professional will make you prove that you live in the home before letting you in. Ideally, you should find your ID. However, if your ID is in the house, that is usually okay as well. You can typically show your ID to the lock out professional once they let you into the home.

Keep in mind that most thieves will just pick the locks or break a window to get into a home. So when you call a lockout service, you give yourself credibility that you live in that home even if you don't have your ID or proof of address on hand.

To get more tips on what to do if you lock yourself out or to install new locks that don't use keys, contact a locksmith at a company like Cambridge Locksmiths directly.

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