Door opening
Door opening in Villajoyosa, with the door left fit to lock
A front door that will not let you in is not the same problem on a 1960s block by the port, a tower in La Cala and a villa above the coves. What they share is the order of work: the latch first, then the cylinder, and the drill only once you have agreed to it.
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- Latch and cylinder first
- Drill only with your yes
- New cylinder fitted if needed
The order of work
How a door is opened, from the gentlest method up
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Look at the door
Which lock, which cylinder, whether the bolt was thrown or only the latch is holding, and whether there is a second lock above.
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Slip the latch
A door pulled to but not locked can often be opened at the latch, with no part to replace.
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Open through the cylinder
Most locked doors are opened through the cylinder with specialist tools. The lock is left working.
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Drill, if you agree
Only for cylinders that resist everything else. The cylinder is replaced on the spot, so the door locks again tonight.
Before the door opens you are asked for something that ties you to the address. It protects you as much as anyone: the same rule applies to whoever rings about your door.
The doors of La Vila
Flats, towers, villas and old doors: what changes
Flats in the town
The 1960s blocks of Barrio Soler, Pati Fosc and la Sicop, and the estates the fishermen’s guild built by the port, have flat doors of every age: plain wooden doors with a single lock, and armoured doors fitted later. Often there is a street door downstairs too.
Towers in La Cala
The towers and complexes with pools at the eastern end of the town are newer buildings, and newer flat doors are often armoured, with a euro cylinder throwing several bolts. They are opened through the cylinder whenever possible.
Villas above the coves
In Paradís, Montiboli and the partidas above Bol Nou and La Caleta, a house can have a garden gate, a front door with a multipoint lock and a sliding terrace door. Tell us which one you are standing at.
Old doors inside the walls
The painted houses have wooden street doors with mortice locks, sometimes older than anyone living there. Reaching them and opening them without harm has its own page for the old town.
When the drill is used
What drilling means, and what you are left with
A high-security cylinder is built to resist the methods above, which is the point of buying one. When it does, the cylinder is drilled at a single point and replaced; the door, the frame and the rest of the lock are not touched. You get a new cylinder with its new keys from the manufacturer, and the choice of a stronger one if the old lock let you down. Upgrading properly after a break-in is on the page about repairs after a break-in; a cylinder that is simply worn is a job for a lock change on a day that suits you.
Someone inside
When the person behind the door cannot open it
Sometimes the door is not the problem: a parent has fallen, a child has turned the key and cannot turn it back, or the person inside does not answer. Say so when you ring, because the priority changes. If someone may be hurt, call 112 first; the locksmith opens the door so the emergency services are not held up.
For families planning ahead, the guide to an elderly parent living alone in the old town covers what to set up before a day like that.
Keys gone, not just locked in
If the keys are lost rather than inside
Opening the door is the first half of the job. If the keys were lost somewhere they could be found with your address, the cylinder should be changed afterwards. Keys dropped on the beach on the night of the Desembarco, on 28 July, are a classic: see the guide to keys lost in the sand. When you are shut out right now, go straight to the emergency page or ring. A photo of your lock sent from the contact page lets you hear in advance whether it opens easily.
Asked on the phone
Four questions about doors and damage
The door is only pulled to, not locked. Is that easier?
Usually, yes. A door held only by its latch can often be opened by slipping the latch, with nothing to replace afterwards. Say on the phone whether you turned the key when you left.
Will an armoured door in a block of flats have to be drilled?
Not necessarily. Many armoured doors are opened through the cylinder. Drilling is kept for high-security cylinders that resist every other method, and you are asked before it happens.
If the cylinder is drilled, can I lock the door tonight?
Yes. A new cylinder is fitted straight away, with its own new keys from the manufacturer, so the door is locked before the locksmith leaves.
Can you open the door to a flat I am renting if the owner is abroad?
Yes, with proof that you live there: the rental contract, an identity document with the address, or a message from the owner or the managing agent. Without any of it, the door stays shut.
Next door on the chart
Next jobs once the door swings open
- A new cylinder New euro cylinders, anti-snap upgrades, tired multipoint locks and sliding terrace doors that no longer catch. Booked for a day and time that suit you.
- Locks in the casco antiguo For the painted houses and the narrow streets behind the camera-controlled entrances: the locksmith comes in on foot, and old wooden doors are repaired rather than replaced.
- Repairs after a break-in A forced door made to close and lock on the first visit. Then, when you are ready, a stronger cylinder, a guard plate or a high-security lock.
Guides that end on this page
- An elderly parent living alone in the old town · 5 min read
- Keys lost in the sand after the Desembarco · 4 min read
A door between you and your own hallway?
Ring, or send a photo of the lock on WhatsApp so the right tools come with the van.
Open 24 hours · 7 days