Chosen Solution
I tried to unlock my front door tonight, but my door knob is broken. The lock was replaced about a year ago… after my purse was stolen, and I had to replace the locks :( I removed the door knob and tried slipping a credit card (okay, it was my AAA card, but you know what I mean) as well as a putty knife in between the door and the jamb to try and release the door. No such luck. I also tried sticking various screwdrivers into the lock mechanism to see if it would budge. It moved, but not enough to open the door. I removed the hinges and tried removing the door. No such luck. I have a deadbolt, so I’m not concerned about safety. Also, I have a back door, so I can get out of my house. BUT… I would really like to use my front door :) Any suggestions?
To get it open, you need to slide a sharp knife on top of the bolt. While pulling the door hard enough to prevent the bolt from springing back, use the blade to slide the bolt into the lockset.It will take 2 or 3 turns of the knife to slowly back the bolt into the lockset. By pulling the door tight against the bolt, that should keep the bolt from sliding back into the bolt socket. Eventually, the bolt should clear the strikeplate enough to open the door. It’s best to replace the bolt mechanism. It sounds like a worn out mechanism in the latchset.
Kathy Hirsh , the only thing that I can think off is, remove the door hings again and see if you can widen the gap between the door and the jamb. I am certain you can not remove the door due to the latch binding in the jamb, but may be just widen it. If it is wide enough, I’d get a couple of hacksaw blades and cut through the latch between the door and the jamb. The reason why your AAA card (AARP in my case:-)does not work is due to the angle of the latch. You may go through a few blades, but it should minimize the damage to your door and the jamb. Hope this helps.
Kathy, what worked, I have same problem
