We’ll offer useful tips and ways to get back into your house when your house front door won’t open from inside or outside when you turn your key.
Last Updated on May 2, 2024 by Vincent Zhu
It can be frustrating if your front door is stuck when you turn your key, and it won’t open. You may call a locksmith to get inside your home or business, but that can be expensive. You may also find yourself trapped outside with no way back in unless someone comes to your rescue.
Many reasons may prevent the house’s front door from opening from the inside or the outside; let us analyze these possible reasons and give advice on how to open a jammed door.
The first thing you need to do is check your house door. Then, you can determine what problem causes the front door to not open.
If you have a warped entry door frame, the door will not close properly and can cause lock problems. The frame holds the door in place, so when there’s a misalignment or split in the wood, it will be difficult for your lock to do its job properly. Here are two things you need to check first:
Two things can cause Door Frame Warping:
Door frames are easy to fix when warped. To fix warped doors, follow these steps:
You can check the following video to learn how to fix a warped door:
How to Fix a Warped Plywood Door Without Removing It
If the lock is broken, then it will not be possible for you to open the door manually. The problem could be due to a variety of reasons. The latch, handle, and lock mortise could all be malfunctioning.
The handle on your front door may have become loose and detached from its fitting. Or maybe, if you have double-glazed doors, there could be some issue with the locking mechanism inside your property’s frame that prevents it from being closed properly after opening.
If this is likely the case, we recommend contacting an experienced locksmith. They will be able to thoroughly inspect the external and internal mechanisms behind your front door and let you know what needs fixing so that everything can work as intended again!
Now, you need to check whether or not the door lock was installed correctly.
Sometimes, a bad installation results in a door lock that won’t open from the inside or outside. To check this, you should remove the strike plate of your front door and ensure it is installed properly.
You can also check if any loose nails or screws around your door frame might have caused this problem. If something looks wrong, you must call a locksmith to come out and fix it.
Check the lock and ensure it’s installed correctly if you have a deadbolt. If you have a doorknob, check the door and ensure it is installed correctly.
Regardless of your type of lock, check the door frame for any damage or issues that may interfere with the proper locking/unlocking function.
If your door jam is rotted, likely, it won’t open. The door jam is the wood between the hinges and the lock. If this could be the issue, check for any rot in this area by pulling out some of the wood around it. If there are gaps or cracks, you know this needs replacing.
If there’s no rot on either side but something jammed between the door and its frame, try removing whatever it is with pliers or tweezers. If this doesn’t work and you still can’t open your front door from the inside or outside, call an expert to get help.
To fix a rotted door jam:
Also, you can check the following video to learn how to fix a rotted door jam:
HOW TO REPAIR ROTTED DOOR JAMB
To avoid this problem in future years, keep your exterior walls well-insulated so they don’t contract or expand too much with changing temperatures.
A door may not open, close, lock, or latch properly if it has swollen. You can try to forcefully shut the door by pushing on it from the outside.
The first step in dealing with a swollen door is identifying the problem. There could be several issues if your front door doesn’t open or close.
The most common reason for this is weather-related: when it rains or snows, moisture seeps into cracks in the door and causes swelling between the lock and casing where they meet (or along any other joints). This can sometimes lead to doors that become difficult to open even if they aren’t swollen—but luckily, you can usually fix them yourself.
In some cases, doors might swell up due to an internal issue, like damage from an animal trying to enter your home or being forced open by someone outside. In this case, you may need further assistance from professionals like locksmiths who specialize in repairing damage caused by intruders on residential properties.
Door hardware is part of the door that holds it in place. It can be broken, loose, misaligned, or stripped. Door hardware may also be worn out and rusted or corroded.
To troubleshoot this issue:
Your doorknob is an important part of your door. Without it, you’d have to open your front door by hand. This would be difficult and time-consuming and could cause injury if the knob was hard to turn or didn’t have enough traction.
If you notice that your knob is loose or broken, don’t panic! You might be able to fix the problem yourself. You can find new handle replacement parts at your local hardware store.
If you can get inside without using a key or knob (for example, if there is an open window nearby), that may mean only one thing: someone has locked themselves out of their house!
If the latch is broken, you can replace it first.
If the latch is not broken, try lubricating it with WD-40 and see if that helps. Use a clean cloth or paper towel to apply some lubricant to the latch mechanism of your door, and then close and open your door several times to work any excess lube into the locking mechanism.
If this doesn’t work, it could be that the lock itself is broken. This often happens when people try to break into your home, but if you think this is not an issue, check other parts of your front door lock. It could simply be that a latch or handle has fallen off and needs to be replaced.
Another common problem with doors is that the internal mechanisms freeze. This can be caused by various factors, such as cold temperatures, moisture, excessive use, or even rusting over time. Regardless of what causes it, the solution is easy and cheap.
All you need to do is apply some lubricant (WD40 works well) to all moving parts, including hinges and latch mechanisms. The process may sound complicated, but in reality, it’s quite simple:
However, if you still have problems with your door, there is one final solution. You can call a professional or attempt to fix it yourself with the right tools and know-how.
Check this video to learn how to solve a Frozen Door Hardware:
The weatherstripping around your door is there to help keep the elements out of your home. It comes in two basic types: rubber and plastic.
Rubber weatherstripping is more durable than its plastic counterpart, but both will do a fantastic job keeping cold air and wind out of your house.
However, both types can be torn or damaged by pests, weather, and even normal wear and tear. If you have torn or damaged weatherstripping around your front door frame, it might not protect your home as well as it should—which means air leaks through the opening!
The most common causes of torn or damaged doors are woodpeckers (those birds with the long bills) who peck at holes in the wood siding where they nest, storms that damage exterior walls, termites that eat away at wooden frames, and even regular wear-and-tear over time, which causes cracks in interior doorsills (also known as thresholds).
If you don’t want any of these problems to happen at home—especially during those cold winter months when everything seems more drafty—then fix those doorways ASAP!
If you’ve been unable to open your door, the key is probably stuck in the lock. You can try a few things.
First, ensure it is your house key, not just any old one lying around. If so, try another one or two keys from your house keys.
If none of those work, try sliding a thin object (like a credit card) between the door and frame to push the stuck part of the key out. If none help, even after multiple attempts and different people trying them independently, you may need some WD-40 or another lubricant to loosen up whatever is making this happen.
Now that you’ve checked the outside of your door, it’s time to review the inside.
If you’ve tried everything else, lubricate any problem areas and see if it affects your problem.
You can try lubricating the hinges, lock, door frame, and door jam:
If you can’t open your front door from the inside or outside, it’s time to call a locksmith. Locksmiths are trained to help with all kinds of door-related problems and will have the tools necessary to fix any issue that may arise.
Getting in touch with a professional is also important if you’re dealing with a particularly stubborn lock or an emergency where breaking down the door is the only option.
It is time for a professional if you have tried all these things and still cannot get in. If the window is locked and you cannot open it, then call a locksmith who can help you.
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