You can pick any keyed deadbolt lock with two basic tools. The first is the pick itself, which is a long, rigid piece of metal or plastic that fits easily into the keyhole and won't bend easily when you push it against something.
It's quite easy to pick a deadbolt lock. In fact, you would want to replace all your key locks with electronic ones when you discover how simple it is. This doesn't mean that picking a deadbolt lock does not require skills or practice – it still does – but the technique is so easy that anybody can learn it.
One of the best-known ways to unlock a deadbolt without a key is by using two bobby pins. Start by inserting the closed "looped" side of one bobby pin into the bottom portion of the lock. Use the second bobby pin, broken in half, toward the top of the lock and move it back and forth.
To unlock a privacy lock you'll need a flathead screwdriver that is small enough to fit into the hole on the doorknob. Insert your screwdriver into the hole and push forward. If your doorknob is using a push-button type privacy lock, then you should hear a loud click and the door will open.
Unfortunately, you can not unlock a deadbolt with a credit card. Credit cards will only work with slanted-latch-style locks. Furthermore, the slant of the latch must be facing you so that you may press it in using your card.
Picking a Locked Bathroom or Bedroom Door Lock
Most interior locksets have a pinhole on the outside knob for emergencies. All you need to pick one of these locks is a single straightened-out paper clip to substitute for the pinhole door knob key. Insert the paper clip into the pinhole and push on it to unlock the door.
Spray the lubricant inside the deadbolt and around the outer edge of the key hole, and place the tip of the drill bit onto the center of the key hole. Pull the trigger on the power drill to spin the drill bit. Gently apply pressure onto the drill to force the drill bit into the key hole.
Take the protective rubber nib off the tip of the bobby pin before straightening it out; this is how you make your lock pick. Then, take another bobby pin and bend the end of it at a 90° angle to make a tension wrench; this is the second thing you need in order to pick a deadbolt with a bobby pin.
Take your knife, and at the exact height of the doorknob, insert it between the crack of the door and the doorframe. Probe around until you feel a hunk of metal extruding out of the door—this is the latch, and it should feel springy! Leverage your knife and push the latch into the door.
The holes are already drilled, so replacing a deadbolt yourself is easy — just buy a new deadbolt and put it in according to the manufacturer's instructions. Hiring a locksmith to come out and perform the swap for you can cost anywhere from $100 to $150, including the service charge.
Use a 2-1/8-inch hole saw to drill the hole for the deadbolt lock assembly. To prevent splintering in a wood door, drill halfway through one side, and then flip the door and drill through the other side.
Lock-drilling is a last-resort approach to gaining entry to locks that cannot be opened by other means. Drilling a lock will destroy the locking plug, but should leave the mechanism in working order.
Picking locks with a safety pin is a useful trick to learn, especially if you lose keys quite easily. Bend the first safety pin into a straight line and file down the sharp point. A sharp point doesn't help you to pick a lock. Filing it limits the amount of pricks on the finger you could possibly get.
Ideal choices include a small screwdriver or hex wrench, a hair pin, or a heavy-duty paperclip. You can even use a bamboo skewer from the kitchen, or a cotton swab with the fluff removed from one end. If using a hair pin or paper clip, first bend it open so you have a long, straight bit of metal.
Want to know how to break a lock with a hammer? Place your fingers into the shackle loop and pull to create pressure. Once done, start pounding the side of the padlock with a hammer again and again until you successfully bump the lock to open. Reuse the lock if it is still working.
As long as you don't have a steel door, installing a deadbolt is a job that you can do yourself, including making the cutout to chiseling in the strike. Deadbolts frequently come with locksets as part of a set, but if you have to buy a new one, be sure to match the existing knob.
Hiring a pro to install a deadbolt lock generally costs around $50 to $100, but the full installation cost will vary based on what type of lock you choose.
While no lock is 100% guaranteed to keep out intruders, installing a deadbolt, as opposed to just having a standard lock, will significantly increase the security of your home.
Penny locking is the technique of applying pressure between the door jamb and the door. Inmates generally do not have access to pennies, but anything – plastic sporks, metal or even folded paper – will work. If done correctly this will prevent, or at least make it extremely difficult, to turn the key.