How does a locksmith unlock a locked door?
How long does it take a locksmith to open a door?
Can a locksmith open a lock without breaking it?
What locks can a Locksmith unlock and open?
Locked out of house without a key?
Locked Out with a Broken lock?
Locked Out with Key Snapped in Lock?
We always prioritise attempting to pick any lock in a lockout situation. Our locksmiths are experts in non-destructive entry methods we can use on your door lock to gain entry without damaging the mechanism. Door entry uses specialised tools and years of experience, knowing exactly how to approach different locks in various scenarios to efficiently open your door.
Being locked out of your home or business is an awful situation for anyone to experience. A feeling of helplessness and frustration quickly set in and gaining entry becomes a genuine concern.
The local locksmith team at SheffLOCK is on hand 24/7 to provide a quick response to such an unfortunate event. We specialise in non-destructive entry into homes as quickly as possible, ensuring such an experience is as short-lived as possible.
A Locksmith can also help with keys locked inside the door if locked out of your home, flat or office.
Upon arrival, our locksmiths usually take anywhere between 20-30 minutes on average to open a locked door. Door entry can, of course, be quicker or take longer dependant on the type of lock, the time of day (having insufficient lighting can hinder a locksmith) and weather conditions if the locksmith is outside. We are aware and focused on getting you inside your home as fast and efficiently as possible, so we always strive to gain entry as quickly as possible for you.
Yes, our team can open a lock without breaking it and damaging the door. Is this a 100% guarantee, the honest answer is no and anyone who says they can are not telling you the truth. However, we have a very high success rate in gaining entry without damaging the existing lock (of course if the existing lock is in good working order).
Our most common scenarios are:
There are many locks that our team of locksmiths can open, with the most common locks outlined below:
As outlined earlier in this article, we have multiple non-destructive entry methods at our disposal to make every effort to open the door without having to disable the lock.
Our Locksmith team are on hand 24/7 to answer any emergency calls if you are locked out of your home, and the keys are lost or inside the property. Our locksmiths are specially trained for such scenarios and will attend immediately.
Our main aim is to gain access as quickly as possible with minimal fuss and certainly without having to cause any damage to the door and existing lock.
In the unfortunate instance whereby the lock in the door is broken and you are locked out, you must employ our knowledgeable locksmith team's services to ensure we can open the door and importantly, lock it securely again.
Each SheffLOCK member of staff has a fully stocked van of locks and mechanisms to install new locks depending on which lock is required. We always aim to replace any lock and mechanism with Police and British accreditations to ensure premium quality in day-to-day performance and security purposes.
We specialise in removing a snapped key in a lock with a fantastic success rate in removing the key, ensuring that the existing lock is not damaged and you can continue to use the lock saving you money.
Our specialist tools and experience in this area of our services gives you a excellent opportunity to save money and in many instances the inconvenience of a lock change and having to give out or obtain additional spare keys.
UPVC doors are notorious for misaligning which causes the lock to malfunction resulting in a lockout situation. It is essential that if you are locked out or locked in, and the door is UPVC that you do not try to force the handle up or down as the increase in tension could cause significant damage to the internal mechanism and make the situation a lot worse plus cost you significantly more to replace any further damaged parts.
To prevent you from being locked out of the house or flat again, we recommend the following:
ULTION euro locks installed on all UPVC and composite type doors. As an accredited ULTION key centre our locksmith team can cut additional keys without needing the original and attend your home to deliver you the key - please contact our team for further details via 01226 885045.
Install accredited police approved key safes to store additional keys in case of an emergency. If accredited, the key safe is incredibly secure and cannot be levered off, if fitted correctly by a professional locksmith like ourselves.
Service your existing locks at least every year but ideally every six months. Maintenance involves only using PTFE lubricant in multi-point locking mechanism and ONLY use graphite powder lubricant for euro locks. We have available via our online shop LUTION XM graphite lubricant that is an excellent product to have on hand should your euro locks become “gritty” or stiff when inserting or turning the key.
When a door starts to catch and not close properly, or a key won’t turn in the cylinder properly please contact the SheffLOCK team who will be happy to attend and resolve the issue - don’t let it get worse as this can be very costly in the long run should the door malfunction.
If you do get locked out, SheffLOCK locksmiths can get you back in without damage unless the lock has broken.
We have built a reputation of honesty and transparency in our approach to such situations as outlined above. We will always talk you through, step by step, the issues and the solutions and will not proceed with any required work until you are happy for us to do so.
The price to unlock a locked door with non-destructive methods will be from £60 including Vat through the SheffLOCK team, although this will depend on a several such as:
Time of day is a factor. Our locksmith's do not charge a call-out fee Monday - Friday between 8 am - 5 pm however should you need our locksmith services out of these hours we charge a standard £60 including VAT call out fee.
Is the lock damaged or not.If the lock is damaged, the job will be more expensive, rather than our locksmiths just having to pick open a fully functional lock.
Our locksmiths will always ask relevant questions before attending or accepting the job requested, often asking for photographs to be sent to give you the best possible price based on the information and situation.
