Freeing Your Child From A Locked Room
Posted on: 5 November 2015
If you have a toddler who had mistakenly locked themselves inside a room and they are not able to open it on their own, you will need to work quickly in getting them out so they are not frightened. Working fast will also help to keep them from injuring themselves while they are on their own. There are a few ways you can open up a locked door inside your home to get your child out without incident. Follow these steps in freeing your child from a locked room.
Try A Hex Wrench
If the door that is locked has a hole in the middle of the exterior portion of the doorknob, you may be able to use a hex wrench to open the door. A hex wrench, or Allen wrench, is an "L" shaped piece of metal that works much like a screwdriver. Hex wrenches come in a variety of widths and are usually sold in sets. If you have a set in your home, select one that appears to be narrow enough to fit in the hole. Place the straight portion of the wrench in the hole and wriggle it around until it feels as if it hooks into the locking mechanism. Turn the wrench to unlock the door. It should not need a lot of force to make the turn.
Use A Credit Card
If the doors in your home have not been replaced with modern locks recently, you might be able to use a credit card to gain entry. Use a card you do not use much to charge as you may need to call to get a replacement card after trying this trick. An alternative is to use a gift card or grocery store savings card as they are made from smooth, laminated plastic without the ridges of numerals imprinted upon them.
Place the card between the frame and the door, above the locking mechanism. You may have to shimmy the card a bit to get it to push into this space. Place it so the long side of the card is perpendicular to the edge of the door. Pull the card downward as you angle it toward the back of the bolt keeping the door locked. A swift motion may move the bolt out of the way. Turn the handle as you pull the card downward. The door would immediately open if the trick works properly.
Call A Professional
If the above tricks do not open the door, you will want to call a professional emergency locksmith to come to your aid. If your child was not on the other side of the door, you would have the option in trying to kick the door open, but this is not recommended due to the chance of injury to both yourself and your child. A professional could be at your home right away to open the door safely without causing any damage to the door or doorknob in the process.
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