Imagine returning from a party late at night at a club in Dallas realizing you can’t open the door without keys as you have lost them. Wondering what to do after losing house keys in Dallas?
Well, that’s a nightmare on its own but while you panic in the dark, run your brain to find a quick and effective solution so that you get to go inside the house and not spend the whole night out.
This is a common scenario and most of the time keys are either locked inside the house or you have dropped them into the car. In most cases, a spare key is hidden beneath the flower pot or at neighbors may save you from inconvenience. But if you don’t have one then this can get a little hectic for you tonight.
Losing keys is not just challenging in terms of unlocking but also there is a security risk related to it if the keys are in someone’s hand where they could be misused. So, when you are in a situation like this and you are sure that the keys are not locked inside the house or you have forgotten them at your office; then take these steps to unlock and ensure the safety.
Search for your keys
First of all, when you can’t find your keys in your pocket search for them in your bag, empty all pockets one by one or in your car to find the dropped key or in front of your house. Sometimes the key is in front of us or Justin the pocket but in haste, we tend to not look properly.
Now before you take a further step think about the key you have lost. Is it the master key or just the spare key you carry with you? Because in case you have dropped the master key, after unlocking there are many locks you have to change or rekey for safety.
Lookout all way back you have traveled to find keys
Now settle down and remember whether you took your keys with you or they were locked inside. Then if you did memorize the whole itinerary of the day to figure out where you must have dropped the keys. Is it at the office table, or in the washroom where you took the stuff out from the pocket? Is there a chance you dropped it at the club or on the road? If you can just go back through all the way you have come to look out for the dropped key, or call in the mall or club lost and found section to inquire that do they have found your keys.
Look out for a spare key
Generally, we all put a spare key in the car’s dashboard or under the doors mat, or you can call your neighbors’ or your spouse to check whether they have an extra key to unlock the door or not. This may get you inside for the time being and then you can calmly search for your lost house keys in the house or take steps to restore the security of the house in case there are chances of keys getting into bad hands.
Make sure the keys you have lost are somewhere no one can find
Changing locks or rekeying them is not a cheap process and you might be reluctant to spend this much just due to a lost key. But as the keys are accessed into your house this will put the house security at threat too. Weighing down a bargain on both sides try to figure out where you must have forgotten the keys or dropped them. The route was safe and there are chances that they are lying in some corner or pothole and no thief or criminal can get access to that. In that case, just rekeying the main door or even not that will be fine. But if you have lost keys in an area where there are chances of someone tracing it back to your house then you must take immediate steps.
Call a locksmith
If you have lost your house keys in Dallas then an intelligent thing you can do is call a trusted locksmith to resolve your issue professionally. A 24/7 locksmith service like Oncall247locksmith will come to your help even at midnight. After calling professional help you can:
Get a new key for the lock
Easiest thing to do is to ask the locksmith to make a new key for your door lock if you have left it inside or at the office. This won’t cost much and will be done instantly. Make sure to get spare keys made this time.
Replace the lock
If the lock is broken by you or there are chances of the key being misused you can replace the door locks in the house. But that may cost a fortune and must be kept as the last option.
Rekey the lock
Rekey the lock is to pair the existing lock with a different key so that it won’t work with the previous key you have just lost. This will restore the security of your house without any extra spending.
Get help from the insurance company
If you have insurance covering your house emergencies then you can call the insurance company for bearing the lock replacement cost and free yourself from the burden. Don’t damage the door locks or break the door as the insurance may not cover your hacks after effects. In case you don’t have coverage from the company try affordable replacements or solutions according to budget.
Use alternate methods to open the lock
In case of emergency or no other available help options you can attempt to break into your house by using alternate unlocking methods that are:
Pick the lock
It’s the most common one that is done in this method is to mimic the key with a wrench and a paper clip or bobby pin. Take an Allen wrench and insert its short end into the keyhole on the lower side and rotate in the direction where the lock opens. Now insert the pin or clip in the lock to click the pins or rotate it 90 degrees to unlock the door.
Open with a credit card
If you have a spring door lock then you can try unlocking it with your credit card. Simply insert the card between the door frame and the lock and swipe it in the downward direction by applying pressure backward to push the lock in the door. This will unlock your door.
Make a fake key
You can use a screwdriver or a tin cutting to act as a fake key and insert it as far as you can into the keyhole and twist and turn it at different angles to unlock the door instantly.
Break the doorknob
If you failed to unlock the door with any of the tricks then what can you do is simply break the doorknob. You can do it calmly and dismantle the door lock step by step so that you can place it back together or you can just break it off and then get a new one installed later.
Drill the lock
Another method to open the door lock without damaging your door is to drill the lock over the keyhole. Then the cylinders of the lock will be visible to you so you can turn them to unlock the door. This may cost you a new lock but your door will be saved.
Break open the door or hinges
If you have some help and screwdrivers you can either remove the hinges of the door to open it and in case the hinges are not visible then you can smash your door, which is not easy at all to get inside your house.
Keep a bump key
A bump key is like a universal key skeleton that can fit into multiple locks. You can buy bump keys compatible with your region locks online. The working of the key is that you insert it as far as you can in the keyhole and then apply external pressure by bumpingthe key with a hammer or screwdriver, this bumping will help the key to pick up the lock pins and then with rotating in the right direction the lock will open up.
Summing it up!
Locking yourself out is a situation that occurs for sure and you must be prepared to deal with that beforehand. Unlocking a door with an alternative method is not everyone’s cup of tea, so while attempting such methods try to be safe. Make sure that you don’t cause much damage to the lock or door that you get ripped off in repair bills.
It is always wise to call a professional locksmith service to get you a new key or unlock the door. Also, try changing your house security setup if you have lost the master key so that there is no question of any burglar entering with the lost keys. But that also brings the budget question. So take steps that are convenient, affordable, and safe for you and your house.
