The situation is this;
I have somehow left keys in both front and back doors (on the inside).
My girlfriend has keys but the doors won’t operate as the keys are in the doors the other-side.
No windows unlocked. Any ideas how I can get in? I’d really prefer not having to break windows.

is she not inside ?

Glass is cheaper than a new door.

Unfortunately not, she had very kindly given me a lift to the station as I had woken up late. She is in her pyjamas and getting a little cold, I’ve told her to go to her mums and get some clothes and go to work. I’m still on a train into London, so can’t do anything at the moment, think I will have to do a half day and sort this out later.

What kind of keys? Mortice or deadlock? With a mortice I was able to turn the key with a stiff wire to the the point where I could push it out of the lock.

your options are fairly limited mate.

I thought the locks you can leave keys in were unable to lock from the outside without a key, i know our patio doors certainly are unable to. Whilst i can do the same as you and lock myself out, that’s only because our front door is a Yale lock.

I guess you want the smallest window possible really to break. Still looking at £100 i guess to fix it all.

the only certainty is that you’ll be needing the urgent services of a florist

she had very kindly given me a lift to the station as I had woken up late. She is in her pyjamas and getting a little cold, I’ve told her to go to her mums and get some clothes and go to work.

One imagines that fixing this will cost quite a lot more than a window, or a door…

I guess you want the smallest window possible really to break. Still looking at £100 i guess to fix it all.

Eh?

I just bought a double-glazed unit 100cm x 30cm and it cost £20, made to size at the glaziers.

Try opening the inside handle by aiming something through the letter box – and you did try the handle on the outside?

What makes you think he can fit it himself ?

Depends on the door – it sounds like a UPVC door with a euro cylinder for this to happen. I’d suggest a letter box tool. If it’s UPVC, it’ll be easy. The tool is a right angled piece of metal with a mirror on the bend so you can see the lock- either knock the handle down or have a hook on the end of the arm to pull the key out. A local locksmith should be able to get you in for sub £100.
The door can’t be multi-locked so will just be on the latch.
Another option is to insert a flat head screwdriver in the bottom of the frame and lever gently against the frame working up towards the lock, with some effort, you should be able to spring the door from the frame.

It’s ok, she’s got in.

Just call a locksmith.

If it’s all double glazing then call a locksmith, if it’s not then you can probably easily force/break a window.

My wife locked herself out of the house a while ago (she’s actually done it loads of times but we’ve since lodged a key with a neighbour.

Anyway, she locked herself out this time and asked for help around the neighbours, everyone refused to help her except cath who lived on the back. Now cath was a nice lady with a great, big heart and a perchance for wearing very tight tops and jeans.

Cath offered to climb a ladder into one of the upstairs windows which was ajar. *now* all the blokes who refused to help suddenly find themselves driven to support this activity. So with about 4 blokes all holding the ladder and providing encouragement. Cath climbs up the ladder and jams her great big heart in the upstairs windows and gets stuck.

Which is when I came home…. 😉

so you’ve “lodged your key” with Cath then ?

Locksmith. Don’t even know why you’re considering anything else.

You may even be able to claim the cost back on your insurance – ours covers lock outs.

Depends on the door – it sounds like a UPVC door with a euro cylinder for this to happen. I’d suggest a letter box tool. If it’s UPVC, it’ll be easy. The tool is a right angled piece of metal with a mirror on the bend so you can see the lock- either knock the handle down or have a hook on the end of the arm to pull the key out. A local locksmith should be able to get you in for sub £100.
The door can’t be multi-locked so will just be on the latch.

This.^^^^^^

If your in Bristol I can help. Should take less than 5 minutes to open it.

I’m a locksmith BTW.

Me

If you’re planning on breaking a window, be careful. I hit the glass too hard, and my arm went through as well as the brick. I still have the scars….

Does your front door have a lock like this?

And is the letter box in the middle of the door?

If so, it’s relatively easy to break in;

<edit – deleted house breaking-in instructions as I’ve realized that the Yale lock above doesn’t have a key hole, so it can’t be that type of lock>

Step 4. Always bolt your doors if you’ve got this type of lock.

Please note. If the mods want to delete this post as it explains how to break into a house, I don’t mind.

PS. I’m not a part-time burglar, I just used to forget my door key when I was a boy and when you’re desperate for a wee you can be quite creative.

If I was a kid, desperate for a piss and had locked myself out I wouldn’t be trying to break back in when there’s the whole outdoors to solve the first problem in…

Locksmith then florist.

Ends thread

when you’re desperate for a wee you can be quite creative.

Any shoes in a storm.

Another thing…if you live on a housing development where the houses are all the same then one of your neighbour’s keys will probably fit your door.

But then you’ve got to go round all your neighbours and ask to borrow their keys, which probably isn’t practical.

PS. I also didn’t want to spend most of my evening sat waiting on the front step.

What about popping off the window beads and lifting the double glazed unit out?
Depending on the windows etc

What about popping off the window beads and lifting the double glazed unit out?
Depending on the windows etc

Is just what I was about to suggest – if it’s externally beaded and if the glass isn’t bonded into place then it really is a doddle.

Cheers for all the advice, its is all done now, in the end my girlfriend simply forced the key into the lock, this pushed the key out on the other side.

dknwhy was correct about the door type, its a UPVC with a euro cylinder type lock. Going to have to evaluate our current locking habbits after this, it could very easily happen again.

No smashing backdoors in jokes?

I am disapoint.

Ive told mrshora not to leave the key in the backdoor for this very reason- incase the front handle breaks (it seems weak). She constantly does though so when the bill hit…. 😆

Quite cheap and easy to stop it happening again – buy a new euro cylinder lock (measure the length of the current one). With fire regs, similar locks are supposed to be keyless from the inside where you turn a knob to release them instead of using a key (to ensure the kiddies can escape in a fire when you can’t find your keys and someone’s locked the door).
If there’s no key hole on the inside, you’ll never get your key stuck again.
To fit the new lock, unscrew the retaining screw on the side of your door, put the key in the lock and move the key until the lock alligns. It will then just slide out. Reverse procedure to fit new lock.

Something like these will work:

Thumbturn Cylinders

EDIT: these type of locks are easier for thieves with a “letter box device” though but tbh UPVC doors are a doddle to break into regardless so I wouldn’t worry too much.

I’m worried about leaving the house and getting stuck between the front door and the house door. Might leave a care package in the space just in case 😉

I’d still like to know how you locked the door with the key on the inside, the bolts should have gone up stopping the door from shutting. I’m also not sure you’re supposed to be able to push the key through. Sounds like a dodgy lock / door that jammed to be honest. Must try this tonight, I’ll take my phone so I can still post up if I end up locked out 😯

The door sounds like a normal multi-locking upvc door. You close the door and the latch retains the door, you then pull the handle up to engage the multi-locking system and bolts and turn the key to deadlock.
The door and locking (inc being locked out) sounds normal but i’m not sure how she forced the key out though as euro cylinders have individual barrels on both sides and aren’t straight through like a mortice lock. Something doesn’t seem quite right…..
I’d ask her to show you what she did and report back.

I’m worried about leaving the house and getting stuck between the front door and the house door

My Mother-in-law did that 🙂 🙂 Unfortunately she had phone with her and had to phone FiL to come home from work with his keys – had to stay there for about an hour!

No smashing backdoors in jokes?

I am disapoint.

My neighbour once locked herself out and came over to ours asking if I could smash her back door in.

She’s a lovely lady so I gladly obliged.