How to open an interior door without a key: an overview of the best ways

Suddenly you found yourself in front of the slammed door to the next room and realize that you cannot open it? And it doesn't matter what caused this - a draft, the tricks of a beloved pet, or your own negligence. The first thought in my head is how to open an interior door without a key.

Agree, even if you have not been in such a situation, then no one is immune from this, and knowledge of how to quickly open an interior door will never be superfluous. In our material, we will consider effective ways to open interior doors in a variety of cases.

There can be many situations with a slammed door, and locking mechanisms are also different. Therefore, the methods of solution differ significantly from each other. We hope that the knowledge gained will be useful and you will not have to knock out doors or call the Ministry of Emergency Situations - everything can be done quickly and easily with your own hands.

Keyless door opening methods

How you open an interior door depends on many factors. Of course, you can knock out the door leaf and quickly solve the problem. We will consider this method, but at the very end, as a radical method that requires a momentary solution to the problem.

Now let's get acquainted with various factors, types of locks and possible ways to open doors. How do you choose the right method and what methods are the most effective?

The choice is influenced by the following factors:

• lock type;
• the reason for snapping: sunken latch tongue, failure of the push-button mechanism, a key left in the keyhole;
• finding a relatively closed door;
• the presence of a time limit to solve the problem.

Consider ways to open an interior door, taking into account the above factors and try to offer the best ways to solve the problem for a variety of situations.

Option # 1 - Latch Offset

Most often, interior doors are equipped with a rotary or push-type handle. Convenient and simple solution. It is the most common. But the pens can be very different, and the principles of work can be significantly different.

When choosing the opening method, the location relative to the door plays a role. In addition, opening can still be complicated by the fact that a key remains in the keyhole, which can be a stopper. Let's dwell on each case in more detail.

Without a key in the keyhole

Snapping the handle is the easiest option in terms of opening. But here, too, there are some small nuances: it all depends on which side the latch is located or on which side of the door you are.

There is always a minimum gap between the frame and the door leaf.

If you are on the side of the beveled part of the latch, then the easiest way to solve the problem is to insert any thin object into the gap:

• scissors;
• a nail file;
• screwdriver;
• plastic bank card.

You just need to pull the door a little and gradually press the latch with the selected object. Usually 20-30 seconds is enough for the door to open.

If the beveled part of the latch is on the opposite side, you will have to tinker a little longer. All actions are performed in the same order with the only difference that the latch must be moved gradually, in several stages.

For this, a bank card will not work, you only need a hard object. After each shift of the latch, you need to press it with the door and move the object by 1-2 mm - as far as there is a gap. In this way, the latch can be fully pushed back several times.

With a key in the keyhole

If we are talking about a simple handle, and not about a complex lock, then you can try to push the key out of the lock wells using a thin sharp object - an unbent paper clip or open scissors from a manicure set. But this method is only suitable if we are talking about a latch, and not about problems with the lock.

Some locks have a cover that looks like a button. In this case, you can grab it with pliers and turn it, the latch is guaranteed to move.

Option # 2 - a door with a lock

There are cases when cylinder or lever locking mechanisms are installed on interior doors. Here it is already a little more complicated, there is even a possibility that it will not be possible to cope with such a lock easily.

But there are still several ways. If time permits, then you can try everything and try to open the lock with minimal damage. This may sound primitive, but sometimes it works. It is enough just to pull the door well, and in simple locks the crossbars by themselves bounce off. But this is more a fluke.

Option # 3 - through the lock cylinder

If the lock is not new, but already developed, then you can try to use a similar key or use a thin sharp object as a lock pick. Sometimes this works and it is possible to turn the key or master key in the lock, thereby moving the latch or bolts.

If the method with the key and master key did not work, then you can try to remove the lock. To do this, unscrew all visible screws, dismantle the cover strips and the handle. Such actions will open access to the locking mechanism.

A lever must be inserted into the opening that opens; a screwdriver is best suited for this. You will have to apply some force if the lock is not equipped with a lock. Often it is possible to crank it and thereby return the crossbars to their place.

Radical methods or brute force method

If all the tried methods did not bring the desired results, then all that remains is to break the lock or dismantle the door. Here it is already necessary to proceed from the specific situation and be guided by the fact that will bring the least damage.

First you need to carefully examine the door hinges, evaluate their design and installation method. You are already familiar with the gap between the frame and the door leaf, since you used to try to push the latch or move the crossbars.

In the end, it may be necessary to assess the strength of the structure, it is possible that it is brute force that can bring the desired result.

Cutting off latch and crossbars

If there is sufficient clearance between the door leaf and the frame, you can try to cut off the sunken tongue or crossbars. Work must be done carefully and with an angle grinder. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with rules for working with a grinder.

If everything can be done as accurately as possible, then the paint will be only slightly damaged from the action of sparks.

If the gap does not allow cutting the crossbars, then you need to pay attention to the door hinges. The method of removing the door leaf from the awnings depends on their design. If card-type hinges or similar ones are used, then you can simply unscrew the screws, release one side of the door leaf and dismantle it.

Removing door hinges

Ideally, if you can limit yourself to simple disassembly, this is simply not possible if hidden hinges are used. In this case, too, there is nothing left to do but cut the loops with a grinder.

You need to look in place how the loop is installed. You can cut the upper and lower loops along the entire length of the plate. If the hinges protrude even a little, then you can stick a sheet of paper on the door and cut the hinge cylinders. Thus, the decorative coating of the door leaf will be preserved.

How to knock down a door?

There is another simple and effective way to use brute force. If the door opens inward, then you can simply knock it out with a sharp blow. Of course, in this case, the door frame will be damaged, but there are many methods how to restore it.

Usually the door is kicked out. This way the least damage is done. You should not use percussion tools such as a hammer, they, of course, will cope with the task, but can lead to the fact that you simply have to change the door leaf.

Measures to prevent this situation

Situations when the lock breaks can be avoided. If not guaranteed and one hundred percent, then to minimize it for sure.

Yes, there are also a number of points that can be taken into account when installing a door lock in order to facilitate its dismantling:

• Install locks with the possibility of emergency opening.
• Avoid using complex mechanisms unless absolutely necessary.
• A spare set of keys can be stored in a drawer in the kitchen or hallway.
• Regular lubrication of moving parts (it is better to use a penetrating lubricant).
• Timely replacement of locks that have started to jam.
• Leave a gap between the door leaf and the frame as a last resort - all of a sudden you still have to cut the crossbars or the latch tongue.

These simple methods will help you avoid an unpleasant situation with a slammed door, a broken lock, or will be helpful in solving a problem that has arisen.

Not only the interior door can be closed - sometimes it is not possible to cope with the blocked door of the washing machine. How open the washing machine read in our next article.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

5 ways to open an interior door without a key

We looked at several ways to help cope with a slammed interior door without using a key. Any closed door needs its own approach, you always need to start with an inspection, take into account the complexity of the mechanism, the presence of gaps, the strength of the structure and the time you have at your disposal.

It is best to start with more gentle methods, it is not a fact that the efforts will be crowned with success, but it is always worth trying. Moreover, the simplest methods do not require any tools and skills..

We hope that our advice will be useful and, if you find yourself in a situation where you have to open the door without a key, then you will cope with the task at hand.

Have you already been in a situation when you had to open the door without keys and managed to cope with the problem? Share your experience with our readers using the form below the article.