Drilling a lock has several pitfalls and pluses that you need to be aware of before making the final decision. On the pro side, you have practical advantages, as opposed to the situational disadvantages raised in the con section. There are situations that a lock must be drilled open, but you might want to request the service or decline depending on the situation.

When should you drill a door lock?

The only situation that requires drilling a lock is when you are locked out of your property. Not every lockout will require drilling out a lock, but it is certainly always an option. In the best case scenario, there will be other options to open your locked door, but when all else fails, drilling a lock is the fall back of any quality Los Angeles locksmith.

The Pros Of Drilling A Lock

Drilling out a lock offers two major advantages to home and business owners. As has already been mentioned, drilling a lock may not be necessary, but it will always have these benefits. In order to fully actualize the pros of drilling a lock, you should hire a professional locksmith in Los Angeles. To drill a lock you will need professional tools and technical training. 

1. Speed

When you are strapped for time, drilling a lock is a perfect solution. Picking a lock can take a while as a technician finds the binding order, detects the presence of any security pins, finds the proper level of tension, etc., and lock bumping largely relies on luck and/or a simple lock. Drilling is as fast as setting the drill and occasionally changing out the drill bits.

The speed is due to the fact that each lock has certain drill points, which are known to locksmiths. From there, a locksmith has a set of lock drill bits, which allow them to get through some of the drill protection measures. With the right tools and skill, a trained locksmith can drill out a lock with speed and ease.

2. Universality

Any lock can be drilled open. Even high-security locks with the most powerful drill protection, such as Abloy, Mul-T-Lock, Medeco, etc., can be drilled open. In the case of some high-security locks, drilling will be the only way to get them open when you are locked out of your home.

For example, the Abloy Protec 2 is unbumpable (you can never open it with a bump key) and it has never been picked open. If your lock has security that is too powerful, you will need the universal solution of drilling out a lock.

The Cons Of Drilling A Lock

There are several reasons that you would want to hold off on drilling a lock if there is some other option for getting the door back open. Hopefully, the locksmith in Los Angeles that you have hired is only choosing to drill a door lock as a last resort, but there are still a few things that you need to consider.

1. Replacement

Drilling out a lock is a form of destructive entry, which means that you are breaking your existing device. There is no reasonable way to repair the hardware after drilling a lock, so you will need to get a replacement. This means that you will need to pay for the door lock opening service, a new lock, and perhaps even new lock installation.

If your lock needs to be drilled, then these are costs you are forced to contend with. That being said, it is important to be careful of not settling for a cheap lock to off-set the accumulated services. The lock you use on your door determines the level of security your property has.

2. Predatory Practices

You should always be wary of receiving poor service, but in the locksmith industry, drill and replace is a common predatory practice. Companies that unnecessarily drill door locks give the practice of drilling locks a bad name. Just like anything, this process can be used incorrectly or for the wrong reasons.

How do you know if your lock needs to be drilled? Firstly, you should know the level of security your locks have. If a locksmith in Los Angeles tells you that a lock needs to be drilled because it is high security, you need to know if that is true. The more you know about your lock, the easier it is to tell if you are being misled. 

Closing Advice

You will often find that the fastest way to open your locked door is to have it drilled open. And no matter what security your lock has, a drill is always available as an emergency key. It is important that you understand, any lock that is drilled will need to be replaced, and this will incur a litany of costs.

Be sure to vet your locksmith technicians so you can be sure that you are getting the service you need. Luck for you, you have already found the best locksmith in Los Angeles. Contact us for locksmith services today!