[Smallfrog]

Our Bathroom door lock has been sticking for a while. Tonight it completely jammed, and nothing we could do made it turn. We then tried removing the handle and lock cover on both sides of the door, which didn't help, still couldn't work out how to unlock the thing, and it appears to be totally unmovable. In the end my brother (who was stuck inside) had to resort to climbing out the window and in through a skylight. Anyone have any idea's how to get in without breaking the door? Removing the hinges doesn't work either due to stupid design. We can get back into the bathroom via difficult climb, so we can access the inside of the lock.

please help

[bill n ted]

Drill the lock?

Youll need a new lock obviously. Have you tried giving it a good squirt of WD40?

[Smallfrog]

Haven't considered drilling it. Don't think the WD40 would help as it flet before as though it was catching, not sticking.

[bill n ted]

WD40 is always worth a squirt - works wonders on the locks of my car.

Failing that - you could always phone a locksmith. Though given its a sunday night and a bankholiday sunday of all things youll likely get slammed pretty bad with call out fees and what not.

[Thoreau]

Any way you can post a picture of what the mechanism looks like? I'm no locksmith but I am quite handy, perhaps I can come up with something.

[theArrowheadian]

kick the damn thing in like dectective Stabler from Law & Order: SVU. Gets the job done every time, just remember to wear a firm shoe and kick on the knob side and try not to put hole in the door.

[jeff744]

What kind of lock it is?

You might have to remove the metal bar that gets holds the door closed, take off the handles and try to figure out how to remove that thing (it is put on from the outside of the door I believe so it may be tricky)

[ArgonV]

What kind of lock is it? One with a key or one with a 'switch' to lock it? A key can be tricky, the one with a switch can sometimes be manipulated with a screwdriver. Got my sister out of the bathroom when ours locked up like that.

[Smallfrog]

ArgonV, on Aug 24 2008, 08:33 PM, said:

What kind of lock is it? One with a key or one with a 'switch' to lock it? A key can be tricky, the one with a switch can sometimes be manipulated with a screwdriver. Got my sister out of the bathroom when ours locked up like that.

Its a key lock where the key was replaced with a sort of handle thing. I can't get a picture of the inside of the lock as that would involve being in the bathroom, and the only way to get there is out the skylight, along the roof and in through the window.

However, these are from this side, if they help


Once we'd got the cover and handle off


And the parts we removed from this side. The bit on the left is the key.

[jeff744]

Try an jimmy out the part that is locking the door to the frame, that's all I can say without having better pics.

[ArgonV]

Yeah, I wouldn't know how to open such a lock without the proper key. It's a shame you aren't American, else you could just get out your shotgun and blast the lock out

[Smallfrog]

Unfortunately, that would also involve being the other side of the door, and I'm not climbing onto the roof at Night. It also doesn't work due to door design. (If you wan better pics, you need to ask specifically for which bit needs photographing)

[jeff744]

Smallfrog, on Aug 24 2008, 02:11 PM, said:

Unfortunately, that would also involve being the other side of the door, and I'm not climbing onto the roof at Night. It also doesn't work due to door design. (If you wan better pics, you need to ask specifically for which bit needs photographing)

Try to get pictures of the inside of the holes and especially the area that is locking the door to the frame. You may have to call a pro though.

[ArgonV]

I've got a similar lock on my door. If I could take it apart without waking up the entire house, I would. Unfortunately, I can't...

[thedestro]

Can you take some pics more close-up of the key-hole?

[theArrowheadian]

Can you kick the damn thing already?

[Genre]

theArrowheadian, on Aug 24 2008, 05:21 PM, said:

Can you kick the damn thing already?

Yes, and take a video of it.

[Scott Robb]

Have you tried turning it off and on again?

[America]

ArgonV, on Aug 24 2008, 09:23 PM, said:

I've got a similar lock on my door. If I could take it apart without waking up the entire house, I would. Unfortunately, I can't...

Same. I'd put pressure on the wood around the door, flexing the door and maybe seeing if that would free the lock. You obviously can't bend the metal lock, but you can try and flex the wood around it which in turn moves the metal.

[Elyat]

My complex changed the lock to the apartment and gave me the wrong key. Then they failed to show up to fix it so I'm stuck waiting outside for my roommate to answer, if he's home. Someone want to teach me how to pick locks?