Whether you are locked out of a room or your entire house, the door latch is often the easiest point to attack. Depending on the type of latch, a piece of plastic, called a shim, can be used to push the latch back – opening the door in seconds.
Grandpa TJ: I’ve located videos which deal with many of the types of lockouts you may run into at home. If you are handy with some simple tools and can get to a hardware store, these videos will give you enough information to get the job done for far less cost than a locksmith.
Remember, you can get personalized help including video chat during your repair if you need it. Visit Grandpa TJ’s Inner Circle for more information on how to schedule a live consultation.
The two most common door latches are shown above: a Regular Latch and a Security Latch
The regular latch (shown above left) is used for interior doors and usually has a doorknob with a small hole or slot.
The security latch (shown above right) is normally used for exterior doors and has a keyed-entry doorknob.
You might have noticed that the security latch has a semicircle piece on the side. That is often called the deadlock plunger. When the deadlock is engaged properly, it increases security by not allowing the latch to be manually pushed back into the door.
The video below goes over how to shim a regular latch.
Thanks to Billshowto for the YouTube video
Shimming the latch is speedy and causes no damage.