Door opening in Torrevieja

Getting locked out can happen to anyone. You pop out with the rubbish and the door slams in the wind, you leave the keys at the beach, you leave them in the lock on the inside or the key simply stops turning. We are locksmiths from Torrevieja, local people who have always been here, and we handle door openings 24 hours a day, every day, in Torrevieja and all over the Vega Baja.

Before opening: we check you are entitled to enter

It is the first thing we do and we never skip it. Before opening any door we check that the person asking is entitled to enter that home. It may seem a nuisance when you are stuck in the street, but it is what protects you: the same care we take with you, we take with anyone who claims your home is theirs.

How it is proved depends on each case, because an owner is not the same as a tenant, a relative or someone acting on behalf of another person. We explain it when you call. If your documents are locked inside the house, say so when you call too, because it happens often and it can be sorted out.

Opening without damage: we always try when possible

Whenever the door and the lock allow it, we try to open without breaking anything. We are not going to promise it over the phone, because it depends on things you only find out in front of the door:

• Whether the door has slammed shut or is locked with the key.
• What lock and what cylinder it has, and what condition they are in.
• Whether it is an ordinary door or a security door. Security doors have their own page: security door opening.
• Whether the lock is faulty, broken inside or forced in an attempted break-in.

If a part has to be sacrificed to open the door, normally the cylinder, we tell you beforehand and it is included in the quote. No surprises when it comes to paying.

Slammed shut or locked with the key

They are not the same and it is worth knowing. A door that has slammed shut is only held by the latch, the part that springs into the frame on its own when the door closes. A door locked with the key also has the bolts thrown, one or several depending on the lock. In the first case, opening without damage is usually easier. In the second it depends a great deal on the cylinder. If the first has happened to you, you have advice for that moment in door slammed shut.

What to do while we are on our way

A few tips that save trouble:

• Do not try to open it with a card, a knife or a screwdriver. It is easy to damage the frame, the latch or the cylinder, and then the opening gets more complicated.
• Do not climb onto a balcony or through a window to get in another way. No door is worth a fall.
• Look for someone who has a copy: a relative, a neighbour or whoever manages your rental. Sometimes that is the quickest option.
• Have to hand whatever you can to prove that you live there, even if it is on your phone.

If a child, an elderly person or someone who cannot open the door is shut inside, or there is something on the cooker, call 112 first. We explain it in person locked inside.

What is different about homes on the coast

Here we see things that are less common inland. Salt air seizes cylinders and locks, especially in houses near the sea that are shut up for weeks: you come back from holiday, put the key in and it will not turn. On urbanisations of bungalows and townhouses there are many aluminium or uPVC doors on patios and terraces, which open in a different way. And many homes are let for the season, so it is common for the person locked out to be a holiday tenant who does not know the house.

After opening

Once inside, we check that the door locks properly. If it only slammed shut and nothing had to be touched, there is normally no need to change anything else. If you have lost your keys or they have been stolen, the prudent thing is to change the cylinder so nobody else can get in with them. You have it explained in lock cylinder replacement.

Fixed quote and payment

The quote is fixed and we give it to you before we start. If, when we arrive, we see the job is different from what it seemed, we explain it and do not carry on until you are happy. You can pay by card, Bizum or cash. And if you do not speak Spanish, send us a WhatsApp in your own language.