How to open an apartment door if it accidentally slams?

Locks with a tongue (bolt) that snaps automatically when it fits into the opening of the strike plate often present owners with an unexpected surprise. If you leave your apartment for a couple of minutes without a key, you may end up in front of a closed door.

There may be several reasons why the door slammed:

• forgetfulness when a person slams the lock himself;
• strong draft;
• incorrectly installed door leaf when the door is closed gradually.

Regardless of the reason, questions arise: what to do, how to open the door, where to call? This can be done in several ways, but it is important in such a situation to follow certain rules of conduct in order to avoid misunderstandings.

How to behave if the door slams?

In our high-rise buildings, neighbors often do not know each other even by sight, so the sight of a person trying to open an apartment without a key can lead to the wrong conclusions.

To prevent your neighbors from mistaking you for a burglar, follow certain rules:

• answer your neighbors' questions without aggression;
• name those residents of the entrance with whom you are familiar;
• the neighbors still have doubts - ask them to show the documents after opening the door.

If electrical appliances, such as a stove or iron, are still turned on in the apartment, turn off the power using the circuit breakers in the distribution panel.Unfortunately, it is impossible to turn off gas and water remotely, so if they are turned on and an emergency situation is brewing, the only way out is to open the lock quickly.

How to open a lock - the simplest methods

The easiest way to get inside a private house with old wooden windows is to press the outer glazing beads with a flat metal object and remove the glass. Modern windows do not have this option, so here you will have to compare the damage from damage to the frame. If the matter is urgent, then using a screwdriver you can press out the wooden frame by prying it from below.

For residents of apartments “on the floors” this option is unacceptable, so you will have to use another method - try to open the lock with a plastic or laminated card.

1. Choose a card that you won't be sorry to lose. An unnecessary discount card, an unnecessary laminated pass, a bank card that can be easily restored will come in handy and will help open the lock without a key.
2. Insert it into the gap between the lock and the strike plate. If the tongue is beveled towards the entrance, then it will open.
3. If the tongue is located towards the street (entrance) with the unmown side, you need to try to catch it with a card and move it to the side. This may not succeed on the first try, but you need to be persistent, and then you will be able to open the door.

This method is not suitable for those who have doors with an overlay that covers the gap between the leaf and the frame. In this case, there is only one option left - call a specialist.

Advice

Do not rush to open the door using destructive methods or call a technician if there are no children in the apartment and there is no emergency. It may be worth waiting for your household members with the keys - then you won’t have to incur unexpected expenses.

Call the master

Previously, slammed doors were opened by a locksmith from the housing department. In principle, this is still their responsibility, but in reality you are unlikely to be able to invite a specialist from the operational department. Many of them have little understanding of the variety of designs of modern locks and doors and do not want to be responsible for damaged property. Therefore, today there are two options left - call a master from the Ministry of Emergency Situations (unified service) or a door opening specialist from a private company.

Emergency Ministry employees may also not agree to come to the call. But if a life-threatening situation arises in the apartment, they are obliged to help. Children or people who cannot care for themselves (disabled people, elderly parents), locked in an apartment, are precisely the basis for calling the unified service workers. When making a call, focus on the fact that inside people (children) are in a helpless state.

Locksmiths from private companies will come to you in any case and open the lock as carefully as possible. Which option to choose is up to you, but you should consider the following nuances.

• Unified service employees can open the door with an angle grinder, damaging not only the lock, but also the door leaf.
• The Ministry of Emergency Situations is not a free company of good offices, and if the call is unfounded - there is no threat to life - then you will also have to pay for it.
• Private craftsmen (except for close friends) will take a larger amount than emergency specialists, but will try to use the least destructive methods.

You should also keep in mind that in any case, the employees will follow the rules, that is, they will ask you for documents confirming that you are the owner of the apartment. A passport with registration is sufficient confirmation in this case.If you don’t have a residence permit (you live with relatives or in a rented apartment), employees will take testimony from your neighbors and record your passport details. You may have to call the apartment owner. Be prepared for this turn of events.

Considering how much trouble and expense an accidentally slammed door can cause, it’s worth considering changing the lock. In the meantime, he is guarding your door, do not go out without the key, even for one minute. This minute can take away both your money and time, and in return bring only unnecessary troubles.