How to open a sliding door locked from inside

No doubt, a sliding door enhances the look of your interior. It comes with many benefits, such as separating two rooms, allowing natural light to enter the home, saving space, and remarkable features and functionalities. Sliding doors have some drawbacks too. Sometimes, it might get locked from the inside by mistake. But you do not need to worry. We will present you with a guide on ‘ how to open a sliding door’ when it gets locked.

So let’s find the way in!

HOW TO OPEN A LOCKED SLIDING DOOR? 

Sliding doors are popular, and people prefer to install them in their homes because of their magnificent features and functionalities. They are safe and secure, and sliding doors have various locking methods to keep your home and belongings safe.

Sliding doors are manufactured primarily with two different configurations:

• A slider on the outside of a fixed panel or,
• A slider on the inside of a fixed panel

The outside slider is more ideal for prying open than the interior slider. The inside sliding panel is difficult to open from the outside. Thus, if security matters to you, always install the sliding panel inside.

If your sliding door has been locked by mistake, we have come up with all the unlocking tricks. However, you may need a few tools for that, which include:

• Any similar key
• Pincher
• Screwdriver (flat)

When it comes to prying open sliding doors, have these tools on hand.

Outside mounted slider – Outside mounted sliding doors have a simple lock mechanism that uses a small bracket to lock the door. This bracket is known as a ‘door striker plate’ that fits into the frame with an L-shaped hook on the door. You can easily open it with a screwdriver or pry bar. Insert the pry bar between the exterior door and the frame from the bottom corner of the slider. Then pry it up and tilt the door to lower the latch. This way, you can unlock the door. If you break the latch while prying it off, you can easily replace it.

Inside mounted slider – If the door is locked from the inside, prying it off to open the lock requires a different approach. In this case, you can’t access the slider as it is fitted inside. To help you out, we have got all the unlocking tricks prepared for you.

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Method 1: For Simple Sliding Door Locks 

If the configuration of your sliding door lock is simple, you can push against the door to open it. Use pressure, vitality, and a few drops on the door; the simple lock usually fails quickly, and you can easily enter your home.

This unlocking technique is for simple locks. For slightly more complicated locks, you can use the following method:

Method 2: Unlock Using Hacks 

When sliding doors get locked from the inside, you can’t access the slider fitted inside. In this situation, the only possible way to unlock the door is to work on the fixed panel. First, you need to find the termination point of the bottom and top tracks. Then, locate the bumpers, brackets, or screws securing the panel in place and remove them with a screwdriver.

The stationery panel is also fitted in the bottom and top track like the sliding panel. If it fails to budge, grasp it and try to lift it. Tilt it toward your feet once the panel is separated from the bottom frame. This process will let the panel come off from the bottom track. Pull it down and detach it from the top track. If it fails to get separated, you will need to apply more force while lifting it. Insert a pry bar or screwdriver between the bottom part of the door and the track. Lift the door upward to get it detached from the track.

Method 3: Call For Professional Support 

Call a locksmith if you tried to open the sliding door but failed—no need to waste your time. You can get it done by spending a little money.

These are all the methods you can try to open the sliding door. We hope that these methods will certainly work for you.

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Tips to avoid getting locked out of the sliding door –

This is very unfortunate to get yourself locked out of your sliding doors, and you want to get in but cannot do so. To avoid this unfortunate situation, we are suggesting some tips here that you can follow:

• Keep a backup key – Hide a backup key somewhere outside of your house that is not easily noticeable. You can hide it in the garden under a flower top or keep it in your wallet.
• Share your Key – You can give your home key to a trusted family member or roommate. So in case you have locked yourself outside of your home, you can take the keys from them to open your sliding door.

So that’s how you can open a sliding door while you have locked yourself outside of your home.

We hope this article will help you learn how to open a sliding door locked from the inside