Josh-the-Locksmith
25 Years Experience
Austin, TX
Male, 46
I've been a locksmith since 1998. I did automotive residential & commercial work from 1998 to 2008. From 2008 to 2018, I did some residential, but mostly commercial work. I have been project managing & estimating since 2018. I used to locksmith in the Chicago area, now the Austin area.
“Can I fix it myself” that’s something only you can answer. You can do anything with enough determination. Since I don’t know what kind of lock you have, I can’t offer any tips. Just some good practices to follow if you do try it yourself- Take pictures, take something apart. Take more pictures, take another piece off. Etc. To find a reputable locksmith in your area, try using findalocksmith.com. It’s owned by the most reputable locksmith association in America.
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Haha there’s no such thing as a “key that will open anything”. That’s some terrible information, whoever told you that. You can’t lock your landlord out, they own the property. If they find that you have changed the lock without their permission, they have the ability to charge you to correct the problem, assuming that is in the contract you signed. They make privacy deadbolts that allow you to lock the door from the inside with no way to access it from the outside. It’s called a one-sided deadbolt. They require them on all rental properties here in Texas for that very purpose, for privacy so your landlord doesn’t walk in on you. You could request 1 that your landlord let you get 1 of those installed?
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I assume you have a glass and aluminum storefront door. You can replace that inside keyed cylinder with a thumb turn, they are very inexpensive, usually $10-15. Labor time is 2-5 min. You can have a locksmith come out and do it for you, or probably YouTube it if you’re trying to save yourself money. https://youtu.be/nJT0moSoNJM
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Sounds like you may have a Kwikset privacy lock. You need a small flat head screwdriver, or privacy key. Stick it in that hole as you twist the key left and right slowly. Eventually you will feel it engage into a slot. Once you do, twist the screwdriver, or key, I think it’s counter-clockwise. It will only turn 1 way. This is what the key looks like. http://www.mrlock.com/tools-equipment/tools-rekey-kits/lock-service-tools/kwikset-emergency-tool-81087 If you don’t have access to either, those locks will open with a credit card, stiff cardboard, or flexible sheet of plastic. Just stick it between the door & frame next to the lock. They are not made to be resistant to shimming like entry locks are.
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Air Traffic Controller
Have you ever ordered a pilot to abort mid-takeoff?
Hospice Nurse
Ever heard any crazy deathbed confessions or family secrets revealed?
Professional Gamer
What's the longest playing gaming session you've ever had?
Some locksmiths have some awesome stories. Unfortunately I haven’t had many hilarious ones. I unlocked the wrong car one time. I figured it would be a good idea to get a head start before the customer came out to the small parking lot. I didn’t even notice there was an identical make, model, & color car right next to it! Another time I cut off the wrong padlock on a storage unit. That time it was the renters fault. After she slid the door open, “Oops! That’s not mine. Sorry! Oh yeah! It’s this one over here!” ????
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The company name is Emhart. It uses a Corbin Russwin cam called a “cloverleaf” cam.
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If you're referring to a bar that goes across the whole door, that is an exit device. The trim you're referring to for that exit device would be considered storeroom function trim. Also if you wanted the same type of functionality in a lever instead of a bar, that would be a storeroom lever.
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