Opening a door
Door opening Guardamar, with the door left whole wherever it can be
Flats in the blocks behind the beach, bungalows in El Raso and the urbanizations, the low houses of the old town and the gates in front of them. Each is opened in its own way, and the aim is always the same: you inside, and a door that still closes and locks.
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- Latch and cylinder first
- Drilling only with your yes
- Proof of address asked for
Door by door
The doors of Guardamar, and how each one is opened
| Door | Where you find it | Usual way in |
|---|---|---|
| Armoured flat door | The blocks along the Centro and La Roqueta beaches and round the port | Through the cylinder; the multipoint bolts follow once it turns |
| Communal street door | The entrance of every block of flats | Through the latch or the cylinder; electric strikes are checked first |
| Bungalow or townhouse door | El Raso, El Moncayo, Los Estaños and the other urbanizations | Through the latch if it was only pulled shut, otherwise the cylinder |
| Street door of a low house | The straight streets of the old town | Through the cylinder, or the mortice lock on older timber doors |
| Gate in a wall or fence | In front of houses with gardens and of communal pools | Surface lock or narrow-frame cylinder; a photo helps |
| Terrace sliding door | Ground-floor flats and bungalows | Through the hook lock; see sliding doors |
Method
Latch, cylinder, then the last resort
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The latch
If the door was pulled shut and not locked with the key, the latch can usually be slipped without leaving a mark.
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The cylinder
If the key was turned, the cylinder is opened with picking or bypass tools. The door and the lock stay as they were.
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The cylinder, sacrificed
If the cylinder will not give, you are told what it means and what it costs to replace before it is touched.
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Working again before anyone leaves
Whatever was done, the door has to close and lock when the job ends. A replaced cylinder goes in on the spot.
If the cylinder has had to be replaced, or it was already tired, you may want to look at a proper lock change on a day that suits you.
The old town
Low houses on straight streets
After the earthquake of 1829 destroyed the old village, Guardamar was rebuilt to a plan: straight streets crossing at right angles and running north to south, and low houses with deep patios. In those houses the street door opens straight onto the pavement, with the patio behind the house.
Their timber street doors often carry an old mortice lock alongside a newer cylinder, and the patio gate may have a lock nobody has turned in years. The guide on the three doors of a low house in the grid goes through them one by one.
Before it is opened
Why you are asked to show it is yours
In a town where about three homes in four stand empty for much of the year (INE Census 2021), a locksmith who opens doors for anyone who asks is a risk to every one of those homes. So before any door is opened you are asked for something that links you to it: an ID with the address, the deeds, a rental contract or booking, or the owner confirming by phone.
If you own the house but are abroad, it can be arranged ahead: read about looking after a second home. If you are shut out at this moment, go to the page for being locked out, which also covers lost and broken keys. Every area covered is listed on the coverage page.
Asked often
About doors, gates and latches
Can an armoured door with a multipoint lock be opened without ruining it?
In most cases, yes. An armoured door is worked on through its cylinder; once the cylinder turns, the bolts top, side and bottom follow. If the cylinder has to go, it is replaced there and then and the door keeps working.
The communal street door of our block is stuck. Whose job is it to call?
Normally the community’s administrator or president, since the door belongs to everyone. If you are the one outside, ring anyway: it can be opened for you, and the repair is then agreed with whoever runs the community.
Is a street gate opened the same way as a front door?
Rarely. Gates usually have a surface lock or a cylinder in a narrow frame, often with an electric strike for the intercom. Each is opened differently, so a photo of the gate lock on WhatsApp is useful.
What if the door was only latched and not locked with the key?
Then it is usually the quickest kind of opening, done through the latch with no damage at all. Tell us on the phone whether the key was turned or the door just pulled shut.
Often needed next
With the door open, people often book these
Guides that lead here
Flat, bungalow, town house or gate?
Ring, or send a photo of the door and the lock on WhatsApp so the right tools come with it.
Open 24 hours · 7 days