Not being locked out

Hi first time on forum,just had 2 weeks in condado,26 Sept to 10 oct 3 days rain then sunnshine every day.                                 When closeing front door without a key you are locked out,have now solved that problem.

The steel square bar that goes through the door needs to be removed and a new bar fitted.

The existing sqare bar that goes through the door  has a round piece of steel rod in the end that rotates it`s on the out side,thats why the door cannot be opened with the door handle from the outside.

The new steel bar needs to be 8 mm square and 135mm long,a slot has to be cut in each end at 90 deg opposite to each other (this can be done with a hack saw),the reason for this the door handles have grub screws in them to locate on the slot. 8mm bar bought from B&Q.

Once this new bar is fitted you can open the door from the outside.

Hope this is of use.

DandC     J13

dandc

great bit of info, 

cheers ant

Hi all

Also,remember, you can always give the key 1 or more turns to throws the bolts out to stop the door shutting in the warm mediterranean breeze

Don

Hey Don not just a pretty face eh...

Hi all

Just a little tip do not leave keys in back of door if you are locked out and have a spare key you will not get back in and this could then need a locksmith.

This point has come up before and some people have purchased a small key safe to be hidden somewhere on the solarium or terrace.

We did leave a key in the back of the door and shut the door then the key we had with us wouldnt open the door. It wasnt easy to knock that key out as it was slightly turned and we didnt have any appropriate equipment with us and we couldnt get the latch to jump either. Help, in the form of Rob from Jardin 10 was the only way we got in - we did have back windows open but no long ladder to be found anywhere. If you lock yourself out and have a key holder at least help is available even if you have to wait.

We always fully close the door when not in the apartment (old habits die hard!) even when we are up on the roof terrace and have gone away from the idea of having  turning handle on the front door (again, old habits die hard and any one could walk in) so will be sourcing a key safe for our next visit.

On that point of the turning handle when our son was over we were expecting a delivery and he was up on the roof terrace and despite the delivery man knocking and ringing the bell our son never heard a thing- just heard the van engine start up and looked over the side and managed to catch the drivers eye. ( no suggestion here that the delivery people had any intention of emptying the apartment) But it would be easy to still be on the premises and for someone to enter the apartment if the door can just be opened- improved security hopefully would reduce that happening as well

But one of us always has a key.

Apparently if you leave the key in the back of the door and it shuts the only way to get in is to break the window and unlock the door that way.  That costs about €500 whereas for a locksmith to come out and dismantle the lock costs around €800!  Personally we have got used to having a key in our pockets at all times - just in case!

Hi Bren

Im not as stooopid as I look

Don

MMMM if the key is in the door on the inside just use a fly swat 50cent from the supermarket and use it like a cerdit card and swipe it where the lock is door to stension that works

If the locksmith advert is still ''up above'' then it would be cheaper going on the training course

Hi Dave,

By the sounds of things we have a few pros on site we can call on, truckers being one of them.

Ali

Truckers dont rely on that method- It didnt work, we tried it and so did everyone trying to help us. That method depends on everything in your  door and frame being in exact alignment and even then if the lock is stiff it wont work. We were very close to breaking a front window to get in although we did have the fact the rear windows were open but no ladder to be had; in 32 degs with an elderly relative with us and hovering for a fair while in that heat deciding what to do, then breaking a window began to look like an option. Bear in mind we had been on the roof terrace, no car keys. no drinks and no shoes!

Hi Ali.......... 2 hours to go, need to pack.......... cryinair and goldcar to deal with !!!!

Jann - that will be my lads description of me this week ''elderley relative'', as for the door i went for the 'can't lock behind you' option as described in post 1

Yes we're have been considering other methods- however not too sure about having just a turning handle. But, then again as we try to lock up every time we leave the apartment empty, even when on roof terrace, it might not be a problem. Just phobic about the keys now!!!!

I locked myself out when I was over last week.  Carol came to the rescue (yet again!!) and was in the apartment within 5 mins using a thin sheet of plastic swiped down the side of the lock.  Basically, the lock goes onto a yale type sprung clip when only pulled closed so the bit of plastic simply shoves it back into the door recess and you can get in.  Carol found this out when she realised that, somehow, PW workers were getting back into apartments to collect their tools after she had pulled the doors closed.  She saw what the bu**ers were up to and started turning the key several times to activate the deadlocks thereafter to stop them gaining access without her permission.  I was SOOO grateful to her.

 is this a forum for thieves and chancers? they have just discovered how to open doors, bloody marvelous,

can anyone please describe how to hot wire my hire car?

is there any way to open the front window i would love to be able to rob an apartment that way?

Don't be daft!!  They CAN'T open your door by the aforementioned method if you lock it!!  The only way you can get in like this is if you don't bother to turn the key a few times to engage the locks - as I said in my post.