No one plans to get locked out – unless it’s all part of some elaborate practical joke, of course. However, when you do get stuck outside your home, in the cold, it’s usually at the most inconvenient of moments.
For example, you might have locked your keys in the house in a rush on the way to work, or you may have popped outside to put something in the bin, only for the door to slam shut in the wind. There’s even a possibility you might have underestimated your own Hulk-like strength, inexplicably snapping the key off in the lock.
How you’ve managed to lock yourself should be pretty much a secondary issue. The fact of the matter is if you’re stuck outside, there’s a good chance it’s going to be cold – this is the United Kingdom after all! Your most immediate goal is going to be getting back inside a soon as possible.
Although you’re not going to get locked out all that often – unless you’re a complete clutz – it’s worth taking some preparatory steps to ensure you don’t get left moping around on your front garden for hours on end.
Here are just three to get you started:
Have Your Phone At Hand
If you’ve got a modern smartphone – like an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy – you’ll probably have access to the Internet. Once you’ve got on you can begin trawling the web for a locally-based emergency locksmith.
Any good emergency locksmith will offer quick response times, and can provide homeowners with renewed access to their properties in relatively short amounts of time.
‘But what if my smartphone doesn’t have a strong Wi-Fi signal?’ you ask. Well, this leads us nicely onto the next point…
Put an Emergency Locksmith’s Number In Your Phone
There are a number of locksmiths that boast a national focus; however, they can provide local coverage. It’s well worth having the number of one of these firms that can provide a local emergency locksmith in your phone.
Locks & Keys Sheffield – 01143216142
And if you don’t want to put it in your phone, at least make sure it’s jotted down in your diary, or work planner.
Carry a Spare Key
A spare key is absolutely invaluable. It’s always the first thing most people wish they had when they get locked out of their homes.
Okay, you might have to pay to go and get one cut by a key cutter, but it’s an investment you won’t be left regretting if it’s hammering down with rain outside, and the door’s just closed on you.
Keep it somewhere safe – somewhere where it’s not going to be moved – and you’ll be able to access your home again with little stress, or effort.
If you happen to break your key off in the lock – as we briefly touched upon earlier – having a spare key isn’t going to benefit you much in the short term.
You’ll have to call out an emergency locksmith, who will depending on the lock, extract the fragments of the broken key, or replace the entire lock if the mechanism’s been damaged too.
Louisa Jenkins is a freelance home improvement blogger. From time to time she also looks at unusual situations homeowners can find themselves in and here she blogs on the use of an emergency locksmith when a person gets locked out of their home.
