6 Things You Must Do Before Drilling A Lock

Drilling a lock is damaging to gaining entry to a commercial or residential building.

Locksmiths seldom drill through a lock unless they have exhausted all other strategies.

Call a professional locksmith to do the job if somebody comes to your house saying they will drill your lock without attempting other approaches.

But, every locksmith must consider lock drilling as the last recourse for opening locks to gain entry to the property.

It’s catastrophic, damages the locking plug, and needs replacing after that.

You can try other methods before drilling a lock.

Let’s analyze the different methods.

Locks are designed to prevent people from gaining entry.

So, obviously, there are locks you can’t drill.

Examine the lock, the best approach to use, and the right equipment.

Picking

Lock picking is the craft of sidestepping the pins inside the cylinder lock to open the lock with no keys.

Locksmiths acquire their skills through many years of training, practice, and qualification.

Part of their training is learning the lock mechanism.

Locksmiths can gain entry without damaging your lock during the process with combined skill and special tools.

Be careful when you pick the lock because you might break the picking tool and leave it inside the cylinder lock, which you need to extract later.

Depending on the locksmith’s skill and type of lock, it will take about 10 minutes to open a lock.

The best thing about it is there is no downgrade on the security of your lock.

Remember, a locksmith can pick any lock with the proper training and tools.

It is not easy, but it can work with simple locks.

Make sure you call a locksmith during the emergency lockout to save your lock after picking.

Lockpicking is a non-destructive method of gaining entry.

Bumping

Bumping is one more non-destructive technique for unlocking a door.

Just like the picking technique, locksmiths use a unique device.

If you have a pin tumbler lock design, you can use this option first.

Locksmiths can’t bump all locks.

Anti-bump design locks are likewise available.

When using a picking or bumping method, locksmiths will investigate the lock for damage or other issues that prevents entry.

Bump keys were designed by locksmiths.

It slides deep into the lock until it is one notch short.

Once in place, tap the key with a hammer to dislodge the pins.

Repeated tapping will pop out the lock chamber and open it.

It will usually work after a dozen tapping.

Bumping was developed by locksmiths in the 70s to make it easier to disassemble locks.

You don’t need specific skills to use the bumping method.

This type of technique works for cylinder locks.

To avoid compromising your security system, install a high-security lock.

Alternative Entry

Check if the door and the windows are indeed locked.

Picking and bumping were unsuccessful.

Under the doorway, tools were useless.

There is no other way of getting back into the house.

All options were exhausted without a possible solution but for the locksmith to drill the lock.

Your locksmith should have informed you to choose destructive entry when you reach this decision.

If you have to get into your house, there is an alternative way.

But, before drilling the lock, you should have evaluated all options.

If your back door has a separate lock, your locksmith can bump or pick the lock.

Customer Must Agree to Drill

Once you are in the situation, you must not pressure yourself to drill the lock.

At this time, there should be no other way to gain entry to your home or office.

The time spent and the efforts taken must be enough for you to come up with the decision.

Once your locksmith has your confirmation and gives him the go-ahead, he will start drilling the lock.

Remember, if the locksmith drill through the lock, it will be damaged beyond repair as this is a destructive process.

Most people are not aware of the consequences of drilling a lock.

Confirm you understand that they have attempted all norms necessary.

Before he starts drilling, make sure you have a replacement lock.

Your lock will be open, and burglars may take advantage.

Drilling can start once every tool is ready and a replacement lock is available.

Have a Replacement Lock Ready

Drilling the lock must defer until you have an appropriate replacement to slot straight in.

You should have a choice of a lock substitute.

If there is no substitute replacement, drill and replace the lock.

By drilling the lock, your home security is in jeopardy.

The door lock is unusable and needs a new one.

Therefore, you should not let the locksmith drill the lock until you have a substitute.

Your locksmith should stay on the property until he finishes replacing the broken lock.

Before the drilling ensues, make sure you have double-checked your pockets for the door key.

Get the owner’s permission to drill the lock.

Drill the Lock

Lock drilling is a destructive method of unlocking a lock through the lock cylinder.

The drill will go through pins and eradicate the configuration inside so that no pins will keep the lock latched.

After drilling, you can quickly turn the doorknob and open the door.

Be mindful because drilling the locks in the incorrect area will be extremely difficult for you to extract the lock.

Use the right drill for the cylinder lock.

It is best to leave this task to the professionals because they must install and rekey the lock after drilling.

Take note that drilling the lock should be the last resort.

Usually, the most common problem is when the pins inside the cylinder are damaged.

A professional locksmith will never decide to drill the lock straight away.

They will try other options to save the lock.

Drilling and lockpicking are the two most common methods to unlock a door.

If your lock has an alarm, disable it before drilling.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, when prerequisites are met, you can go back into your house.

Checking these steps will protect you from inferior service.

Always contact an expert locksmith who understands the rigors of drilling a lock.

Never compromise for a second-rate job.

Quality work is a must when it comes to your home security.

The use of power tools needs the expertise of a professional with years of training and experience.