How to Open a Door When the Mechanism is Broken

There is no worse feeling than coming home after a stressful and tiring day at home, only to be met with a broken doorknob or broken door mechanism. Or maybe your key broke inside of the lock, just before you entered your home. In these moments of pure stress sheer panic, you probably have no idea what to do. In fact, that is how most people would feel. If you have not had any kind of previous experience bypassing a lock, you will not be able to open the door.

However, all hope should not be lost. There are probably several different ways you could find a solution to this problem. Keep in mind, the solution will depend entirely on the type of mechanism we are talking about. Some locks might allow you to bypass them without a key, but others will not. Through trial and error, you will be able to figure out what exactly you should do.

To help you in this stressful situation, I wrote this article to provide you with guidance on how to open the door if the mechanism has been broken somehow.

Try using a bit more force

Wait, before you do anything, I want to clear things up a bit. I am not talking about using brute strength to try and break down your door. Now, that is an unnecessary move that will cost you hundreds of dollars.

Am talking about trying to forcibly mechanism open by utilizing a bit more force than you usually do. There is something stock or broken that could be bypassed with a little bit of force. But, whatever you do, make sure that you are helpful. You are not trying to break anything and do not want to hurt yourself.

After a few tries, if this does not work, go to the next step.

Try to spot any screws

Believe it or not, but some locks or latches might have exposed screws on the outside. This does not sound very safe, but unscrewing them usually does not do a whole lot. The process is a little bit more complicated, but it will not cost you anything to try this.

Focus and look around to see whether you can spot any screws around the knob or maybe even at the hinges on the backside of the door. Unfortunately, you probably will not have any kind of tool, specifically a screwdriver for this, but you might use something else. If the screws are not too tight, maybe you could use a pen, a small knife, or a key.

A small warning though, I would suggest that you are very careful with the key because you do not want to damage it.

If you do not manage to budge the screws, I would suggest going to a neighbor’s house and asking them for a screwdriver. I am sure that they will be more than willing to provide you with the right tools. Almost everyone has at least one type of screwdriver in their home.

Now that you are equipped with the right tool, it is time to deal with the screws. Once they are out, try opening the door again. Try applying a bit more force. If you do not see any kind of progress, you should not force it any further.

Consider calling a locksmith

Right now, you have tried your luck, but see no results which lead you to two options to continue with. You could continue experimenting and trying different methods to break into your own home, but that may take the necessary large amount of time and there is also the possibility that you still want to be able to get in (or get out).

That is why I believe that at this moment it might be best to call a professional, a locksmith. A local locksmith can be there in a matter of a few minutes and will deal with this situation in a matter of a few seconds as suggested by locksmithandsecurity.co.uk. Obviously, only if the locksmith is experienced enough. Either way, you will finally be able to enter your home without having to break down your door entirely.

However, if you are prepared to do this by yourself and to learn how to deal with such problems in case it happens again in the future, you will probably have to continue on your own.

Try picking the lock

This will probably be very difficult without any previous knowledge or experience regarding pick locking. It might also be impossible because you do not have the right tools. But, there is always a chance that you might succeed in this.

Since you do not have a pick or a tension wrench, you will have to find substitute tools. Usually, the most commonly used alternative is a bobby pin or a paperclip. Either of these can be very useful in these situations. Naturally, you can also try to find something that is similar to these two items. Basically, you need a thin and straight piece of metal.

Finding an alternative for a tension wrench can be a problem. But, you could use a paperclip to form something that is similar to a tension wrench.

After you have the right tools, you can start experimenting with your lock picking skills. Who knows, you might manage to do something.

If this does not work out for you, your chances are becoming slimmer.

Use a credit card

There is one more method that rarely works, but it will not hurt to try. All you need is a credit card and a bit of precision. Take the credit card, and use slide it in the slit between the door and the frame. Slide it up and down until you find the lock. Once you find it, try pushing it or moving around and maybe it will break loose. Believe it or not, but this can work.

Unfortunately, there are probably no other reliable ways you could bypass a broken mechanism/lock. I hope that some of these solutions will be useful to you.