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Original poster

Internal door stuck shut, kids trapped inside

71 replies

TaxTheRatFarms · 12/04/2021 22:05

I’m sure I’ve seen this on mumsnet before so I wonder if any of you can leap to my help!

Kids closed their bedroom door as usual, but either the latch has jammed or something else has happened, as it’s stuck fast, trapping them inside. We’ve tried throwing our whole weight against the door, but it won’t open.

Has anyone managed to open a stuck door? Might need as many options as possible!

So far we’ve tried taking the handle off on our side, but can’t get to the latch. The hinges are on the inside (where the kids are) so we can’t get to those.

Any ideas?

OP posts:

pallisers · 12/04/2021 23:14

Glad they are out. This happened a friend with a toddler - she called the fire station nearby and they sorted her out.

Happened a friend at a 21st birthday party in a house - son of the house went up the drainpipe and opened the door from the inside. She always had a bit of a thing for him after that ....

Northernsoullover · 12/04/2021 23:21

This happened to a pair I know. The handle came off the door and they had to spend the night in their lounge. Being responsible parents they had taken the phone of their young teen who slept like the dead so couldn't even phone him.
They didn't want to shout too much because of the neighbours. They got out around 8am the next morning.

Kokapetl · 12/04/2021 23:24

This happened to me twice with much smaller children (under 3!). Different child and different house each time. The first time the handle fell off and the internal square rod fell on the wrong side. I think I sorted that one with a knitting needle somehow, before DC realised anything was up- very scary.

The second time, we were having the bathroom fitted and the very kind fitter sorted it out in no time.

Glad this one also ended well and without even needing to destroy the door.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Home improvement

Original poster

TaxTheRatFarms · 12/04/2021 23:25

Lauren15 and GinWithOlivesIn that is really good to know - I would have felt an absolute donut but the kids would have loved it!

worra that is lucky timing! At least he had no no excuse not to revise for those two hours!

toptotoe we tried that, but the mechanism was too stiff to let us move it. We squirted in a load of wd40 then screwed the handles back on (which ds did remarkably well!!) Then ds pushed down really hard on the handle from his side while we pushed the door from the other side and that was enough to release the latch enough.

Thank god. There was no way I was getting out of my pajamas, even for firemen!

OP posts:

Original poster

TaxTheRatFarms · 12/04/2021 23:27

Oh gosh all these stories! Why do we even trust doors anymore 😂 might replace all mine with 80s style beaded curtains!

OP posts:

rainbowlou · 12/04/2021 23:29

Glad they got out!
It reminded me of a time years ago when a friend came over with her new partner and his son.
The son got stuck in the toilet, his dad went straight into full on panic mode and slammed into the door taking it off the hinges and splintering the frame.
If he had just stopped for a minute I’d have shown him it was one of those locks you can unlock from the outside 🙄🙄

youshallnotpass9 · 12/04/2021 23:39

I’m sure I’ve seen this on mumsnet before

That could have been me under a different name.

RJnomore1 · 12/04/2021 23:44

I didn’t post but I spent a few hours stuck in my bedroom over the Christmas holidays 🙈

I had a new book and a selection box plus there is an ensuite so it was not the worst few hours of my life 😂

CurrentWife · 12/04/2021 23:47

OMG this happened to us in a holiday rental in Spain a few years back when our youngest went for wee and got locked in the bathroom on his own. Absolute nightmare. Luckily DH remained calm and got him out but every holiday we go on now we always put a towel over the top of the bathroom door so it just stays ajar. Kids are older now but I don’t care. I swear I am scarred for life.

Glad all ok!

Lauren15 · 12/04/2021 23:51

@RJnomore1

I didn’t post but I spent a few hours stuck in my bedroom over the Christmas holidays 🙈

I had a new book and a selection box plus there is an ensuite so it was not the worst few hours of my life 😂

Sounds great!

Original poster

TaxTheRatFarms · 13/04/2021 00:05

youshallnotpass9 I wonder if it was! I hope you/your kids got out quickly and safely!

RJ the problem wasn’t a chair wedged under the door handle on your side was it?

OP posts:

Original poster

TaxTheRatFarms · 13/04/2021 00:11

Currentwife It must be even more stressful when it’s not your own house! The towel idea is a really good one.

Kids are now asleep and I’ve had enough chocolate to calm me down. I hope all of you are blessed with well behaved doors!

OP posts:

youshallnotpass9 · 13/04/2021 00:13

@TaxTheRatFarms it was 2 years ago and we were moving house, it seemed less stress to leave him in there. I hope the new owners managed to get him out

HunkyPunk · 13/04/2021 00:14

This happened to my teenage DC years ago and he was trapped in his bedroom for 2 hours one Sunday morning.

I don't think mine would have noticed, tbh!

Original poster

TaxTheRatFarms · 13/04/2021 00:33

it was 2 years ago and we were moving house, it seemed less stress to leave him in there. I hope the new owners managed to get him out

Some houses come with period features, some with hidden damp, and some with random locked-in children. It’s all part of the joy of house buying!

OP posts:

Lizzie523 · 13/04/2021 00:36

This happened to me last weekend. I was determined to fix it myself to save myself the embarrassment of the fire brigade being called.

I escaped using a Stanley knife and nail file. I need a new door handle

minipilling · 13/04/2021 00:52

Glad they're out now. We had this happen a couple of weeks ago - our doors are crap and old (need replacing) and they stick a lot. We don't usually have the living room one closed but our cat was being annoying so kicked him out a bit and shut the door. When it was time for bed we couldn't get out. I have anxiety but it was DH losing his cool! I kept saying 'listen, SOMETHING will work.' Tried the credit card thing a bunch of times, took the knob off, all sorts. Because we had house keys with us, I suggested I could go out the front door and round the back (there's street access to our back yard), come in through the back door/kitchen and push/kick the door open from the other side. Unfortunately DH said he'd accidentally left the spare keys in the lock on the inside of the back door. So we couldn't unlock it. He went round and tried to reach/knock the spare key out of the hole through the letterbox so he could unlock with the other keys, but his arm didn't quite fit. I have skinny arms and I KNEW I could do it. It was freezing so I was just about to borrow his boots/jumper and go round the back when he tried the credit card again and got it open! Only took an hour or so...

Also got locked in the spare room with my mum when I was a teenager. Luckily it was a warm day and my bedroom window was propped open. I could climb out of the spare room window, walk along the ledge above the patio, go onto the flat roof next to my bedroom, climb up into the window, go through my bedroom and open the spare room from the other side. If my bedroom window had been shut we'd probably still be in there.

PitchImperfect · 13/04/2021 01:16

Another way to avoid getting trapped in a room is to make sure that the baby gate across the doorway doesn't happen to be only just below the bottom of the handle before you shut the door... Especially check that if you've left your newborn sleeping in the other room & shut the door so the hoover wouldn't disturb them.

DH nearly had to come home from work to rescue us! Thankfully, we hadn't taken down our new baby cards at that point & one of them was stiff enough to move the latch - DH had to point out that I knew perfectly well how to open a door like that, having been the one who taught him to do it! I was so panicked at the time that I couldn't think straight!

MissKaren83 · 13/04/2021 01:18

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

SleepingStandingUp · 13/04/2021 01:25

I once got locked in a not very big toilet at a hairdressers. I only went too keep my mate company but needed to pee so used their private loo on the top floor. Not very used top floor. Had to scream for help until a hairdresser kicked the door down. He didn't look like he'd usually go around rescuing maidens from towers but I'm sure impressed his boyfriend with his heroism!

Hothammock · 13/04/2021 04:00

This happened to my dog. She opens doors with handles and had gone into the room easily enough but then when she tried to exit she had accidentally knocked a bolt shut. We were all on our way out for an important appointment and realised what had happened when my husband couldn't get into the room to grab his bag containing keys and wallet and papers etc. He had to kick through the door. The door was fine but the frame and architrave and the bolt were ruined. Dog came strolling out.
We removed all internal bolts ASAP!

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