One of the best survival skills you need to learn is how to break down a door. You never know when you’re going to be locked out of your house, bedroom, or somebody else’s place, so you need to know how you can get yourself in or out in the case of an emergency.
Even though breaking down a door may seem harsh, it might someday be necessary. So, it’s important that you learn, even if you’re not sure when you’ll need this skill.
Breaking Down a Door
Breaking down doors seems difficult, doesn’t it? However, if you know the proper technique, you can do this without much difficulty. Find out how by reading these instructions.
Prying a Door Open: Hinges
Prying a door open is advisable when you’re locked inside a room where the door opens in your direction. You cannot simply kick the door because the door frame will prevent the door from opening, even with brute force. You need to learn how to open it using simple household tools. A proper way to break down a door is always better than brute force applied inappropriately.
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If the hinges of the door are exposed, you can use household items such as knives or screwdrivers to loosen the hinges and unhinge the door from the frame. But if the hinges are hidden, you need to pry open the knob.
Prying Open a Door: Knob
When prying open a door knob, you need two things: something you can wedge on the space between the door and the doorframe, and something you can use to pop the latch. A thin piece of wood and a butter knife will do.
The first step will be to slide a piece of wood on the space between the door and the doorframe, and wedge it using your left hand to create a space. Now, using your right hand, use the butter knife to pry the knob and pop the latch.
Kicking a Door
Another method to break down a door is to kick it: a classic. Before you start kicking doors, however, you need to know where to kick and how to kick it.
The first thing you need to know is the weak point of the door. It’ll be located near the knob, so aim there. Also, learn to measure your distance from the door when kicking by raising your left hand and holding the door. The place where you stand will be the place where you’ll last step before kicking the door open.
Once you’re ready, take two steps backward then take a deep breath. Take a step forward with your right foot then a step using your left foot. Once you reach the right distance, kick the door with your right foot.
Remember that kicking a door open is only applicable to doors that open away from you. So before you break down a door, determine if it opens towards or away from you.