When you can’t enter your home or leave it due to some lock malfunctioning, you obviously don't have much time. There are lots of situations where lockout has to be as fast as possible because someone is stuck inside, your oven is working, or the tap isn’t shut down. Or you’ve just come home after a long hard day at work and need to relax. All of these reasons are highly important. That’s why people who are calling us for such a service want to know how long it takes to open the door. Sure Lock & Key is here to open that stubborn door or to provide you with all the information you need. Keep reading!
What Methods Does A Locksmith Use To Open The Door
To open a locked door locksmith needs to know different techniques and tricks. Also, there are no chances to handle it without specialized tools and experience. This “kit” guarantees success 9 out of 10 times. Unfortunately, there still are situations where a residential locksmith has to attempt desperate measures, but let’s take it one step at a time.
Generally speaking, there are two main kinds of door unlocking methods
1. Non-destructive opening (picking the lock, sliding the latch back by hand, using bump keys to “twist” the pins, etc).
2. Destructive opening (drilling the lock out).
Their names speak for themselves. Normally, no professional locksmith will attempt a destructive method without trying non-destructive first. However, in some cases, we can skip trying to open the lock gently if the situation is urgent and there’s no time at all. Sometimes customers don’t have time to wait until a locksmith opens a lock without damaging it, and they ask us to drill the lock out straight away. So, if the destructive method after lots of attempts turned out to be the only solution, then the lockout is rather long. Because trying all the methods can take some time.
When we’re studying to become a locksmith, a skill to open a door quickly is one we pay special attention to. Even though a modern locksmith provides a wide range of services, the first thought that appears in people’s minds when they hear the word “locksmith” is “locked doors opening”. There even is a rule of thumb that a locksmith has to be able to open any door in about 10 minutes. Surely, we can do that, but at what cost? Providing you with the lockout, we don’t want to make you pay more than you need for a new lock installation, furniture replacement, etc. We believe that a responsible approach is key when it comes to locksmith services just like professionalism and skillfulness.
What Affects The Time A Locksmith Needs To Open A Door
First of all, the service may take longer or less depending on your locksmith’s experience. That’s why it’s always crucial to choose a skilled technician. If you still haven't found a locksmith you can rely on completely, you definitely should use our guide on how to find the best locksmith. There we’re discussing not only where you can search for a locksmith but also what you should take into consideration when choosing one.
Another important factor that affects the price is your lock type and whether it was installed correctly. Some locks can be harder to unlock than others due to their design and features. For example, to open a high-security lock attempting non-destructive methods can take up to 30-40 minutes even for the super-skilled technician. That’s a double-edged sword because that’s not very good if you need to get inside quickly, but it’s great if someone wants to rob your home or commercial property. Very often a lock can be installed upside down, which takes more time to unlock as well. And even more often we face the situation where we have to open multiple locks because there’s almost no chance someone lost only one key and not all the set. Also, if the locksmith deals with the broken lock, it takes time to figure out what exactly is wrong with it to choose the best strategy. Sometimes it is worth a try to open it in a non-destructive way and repair it afterward.
As you can see, it’s hard to predict the exact time. But let us assure you that we will do our best to open that faulty lock to help you enter your home or office as quickly as possible.
