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Before we get into how to pick an office door lock, remember you should never pick a lock you do not own or have not been given express permission by the owner to pick. So check with your building manager or tenant agreement to see who is responsible for servicing the locks.
If it is the property owner’s duty to handle all lock and security-related issues, then you don’t need to concern yourself with how to pick an office door lock. But even if you are on your own to deal with an office door you can’t open, you can still call a locksmith.
To do the work yourself here is what you need to know about how to pick an office door lock:
Traditional lock picking requires a keyway where a physical key is inserted and turned. Some offices do not use keyed locks, but still, all locks can be picked because lock picking refers to methods used to manipulate a lock into opening without the proper key, code, reading, etc.
The simplest, fastest, and most accessible way of how to pick an office door lock relies on the building’s use of easily bypassable locks. With low-security locks, you can depress a door handle’s spring-loaded latch with a credit card or make improvised lock picks to rake a lock open.
The difficulty of lock picking depends on the types of commercial locks being used, your access to tools, and your skill level. A deadbolt is harder to open than a door handle. A non-traditional lock or keyway requires more specific tools and knowledge to open without a key.
If you cannot open a door without a key yourself, being in an office environment provides you the option of contacting your building/property manager. If other employees or officemates have keys, they can also be contacted. But when all else fails, call a commercial locksmith.
There is often more invested in office security than there is in residential settings. This results in an office lock that is more difficult to open than a lock on your front door. However, if you are locked out of an interior door within a commercial building, the lock can be easier to open.
If there is an override key, the answer is simply, yes. However, there are electronic locks that require more creative bypasses than lock picking, which may not be what is commonly thought of as lock picking. But if a lock can open, it can open without a key.
You can check out our list of the best high-security locks to see some examples of door locks you will not be able to pick open with the methods we will be discussing. These locks are extremely secure and require more to open than can be covered in this article.
While every lock can be opened with enough time, there are certain locks that you are not going to be able to open with lock picking. For example, a broken lock may have limited functionality, so not even the key would open it. Or the lock is too secure to open for an experienced lock picker, let alone someone who wants to know how to pick an office door lock.
Of course, there is always a way to open locks, but you may need a form of destructive entry rather than know how to pick an office door lock. Before drilling a lock or breaking it, it is a good idea to contact a locksmith. Improperly handled prying, drilling, cutting, etc., can damage doors and result in more extensive replacement costs.
In some cases, you may be able to prep a door that would otherwise be unpickable. Examples of this include removing a broken key from the lock or similarly clearing away debris that is blocking the keyway. Sometimes people will maliciously fill lock cylinders up with glue, gum, or even epoxy.
Key Takeaways:
Almost any method of how to pick an office door lock is going to go more smoothly (literally) if you have lubrication. Because many commercial property managers neglect lock maintenance, locks may stick or require greater force to turn, which increases the difficulty of picking.
Apply the lubricant to the various openings in the lock and moving parts. This includes the keyway and even the latch/bolt. Anything that is potentially going to get hung up should have a bit of lube on it before finding the best pay to pick an office door lock.
It is important to be using a proper door lock lubricant and not something oil-based. Oil will attract dirt and gunk up the lock, causing further problems down the road. Lubrication is not an example of how to pick an office door lock, but a lubricant should be in your tool bag.
Traditional lock picking tools are often referred to simply as lock picks. When most people ask about how to pick an office door lock, chances are these are the tools they are picturing. And if you cannot buy from the best lock pick brands, you can make your own improvised picks.
There are two main tools, the tension wrench, and the pick. Tension wrenches go either at the top or bottom of the keyway and have different sizes and thicknesses. The tip of the picks has countless varieties, but they will either be designed to move all the pins at once or one at a time.
If you are making lock picks out of paper clips, bobby pins, etc., it is going to be much more difficult to figure out how to pick an office door lock. There will be very little indication as to whether problems with opening the lock are from your technique or the imperfect tools.
Lock Pick Tip:
Do not move the pick too vigorously or attempt this too often. You run the risk of breaking it or damaging the lock by performing this type of lock picking for prolonged periods. If your commercial lock uses security pins, this may require too much lock to be viable.
A shim is a thin material meant to slide between two components. In terms of how to pick an office door lock, a shim slides into a crevice to retract a spring-loaded locking mechanism (more on that later). This means the shim thickness and shape are most important.
The shim must be slender and flexible without being too brittle or fragile. Most people have seen how to pick an office door lock with a shim represented in film and television. This is often depicted with a credit card sliding between the lock and door frame.
Using a shim often warps, distorts, or otherwise damages it, so one cannot be used twice. For this reason, I would not recommend using any active credit cards or ID badges. For workplace doors secured with a padlock, you will need something smaller and thinner than a card.
Door Handles:
Padlocks:
Shim Tip:
Shimming does not work on deadbolts or latches that have anti-shim protections. Unless your office door is secured by a privacy lock, standard keyed door knob, or low-security padlock, you will not be able to shim the lock open. There must be a spring-loaded locking pawl that can be depressed.
Chances are you will not have immediate access to professional tools designed for your specific office locks. However, just as having a spare key pays dividends during a lockout, having a tool that can open a damaged lock serves a similar purpose. Just make sure the tool is made for your lock.
Many keyed office door locks use a mortise lock manufactured by Adam’s Rite. For how to pick an office door lock like this, you can use the long reach adam’s rite tool. This will still open the door if the cylinder has broken or disconnected from the rest of the lock.
Tools like a double door bypass tool can exploit crash bars which are the most common type of fire door lock for an emergency exit. This is only an option of how to pick an office door lock with the gap that is common on double doors without a specific closing order.
Specialty Tool Tip:
You will have to follow the specific instructions or watch a video tutorial for the tool you are using. It is a good idea to also figure out how your lock mechanism works before using these tools to increase your chances of successfully picking the lock and decreasing the chance of damage.
When it comes to how to pick an office door lock, there is no one size fits all answers. Office security is highly variable, so make sure you know more about what method can open your lock. The best solution for an office lockout can be performed fast and without damaging your security.
The specifics of this solution change depending on your skills and access to tools. For the top skills and best tools, contact a locksmith. And if you have any questions or thoughts on how to pick an office door lock, let us know in the comments section.
Category: Commercial, How To's, Lock Picking
