Locksmiths employ various tools and techniques to gain entry to doors without causing damage, including bump keys and lock picking – using tools to coax up pins in a cylinder to turn and open it.
Some tools can be quite expensive and require special skills for effective use, while there are less-expensive strategies which work just as effectively.
Picks
Locksmiths use various tools and techniques to gain nondestructive entry to locked doors and windows, including lock picking with hand picks or an electric pick gun, bumping, and drilling.
Locksmiths typically open doors by employing a pick. To start off, they insert one end into the bottom of the lock where a key would go and work their way along it until its long end pierces it, inserting into its long end into its base where key pins reside, before using other methods to lift pins that prevent the plug from turning. They continue this process until all driver pins and key pins line up along what is known as the shear line.
Once they turn the plug and unlock the door, this process typically takes just minutes – sometimes longer depending on how stiff or stubborn the lock is – often making this method of entry the only viable way into homes or offices without breaking something else.
Bumping
As soon as one finds themselves locked out of their house, panic sets in. Unfortunately, this often results in attempts at breaking windows or climbing onto roofs to gain entry – this can cause significant property damage and risk injury to themselves as well as others in their household. It would be much wiser to call an experienced locksmith instead who are trained to gain entry without damaging anything on property.
Locksmiths use various techniques, tools and their expert knowledge to unlock doors. Some of the more commonly employed techniques include lock picking, mortice decoder use and bypassing of locks. Locksmiths also have equipment specifically tailored towards breaking open modern security systems.
Picking locks involves inserting the tip of a long, thin piece of metal into a small space between door and frame, before using this piece of metal to ‘bummel’ against pins in a four-pin lock to ‘align them. This technique takes practice but can prove successful.
Drilling
At times, locksmiths must employ destructive entry techniques like drilling to gain entry to locks that cannot be opened through other methods such as raking and bump keys. A professional locksmith will always try their best to minimise damage to property when employing destructive entry methods such as this one.
To successfully drill locks, a locksmith requires several tools including a rotary tool, power drill and drill template. This latter tool helps them mark where their lock holes will be and use that information when drilling into doors.
Locksmiths will use either a rake or screwdriver to insert into the lock cylinder and dislodge pins from within it, freeing and turning it. However, this method should only ever be employed during cases of emergencies on private property belonging to its owner; any attempt at breaking into someone else’s property using this approach could incur severe legal consequences.
Scrubbing
Lockouts can be one of the most infuriating experiences. Perhaps you lost your keys while racing out the door for work or the car and now must wait for assistance from a locksmith.
Locksmiths offer an affordable way back into your home without damaging doors or windows, using various tools and techniques that may prevent the need for new locks or replacement windows.
Mortice decoders provide another useful method of accessing locks and unlocking codes – sometimes even bypassing it altogether!
Locksmiths possess the expertise to work on an array of doors and locks, ranging from conventional uPVC ones to contemporary keyless entry systems. They always attempt different approaches before resorting to destructive entries; though their efforts may not always prove fruitful.
