Baby stair gates

[TrimTheKing]

Morning all

Now my little one is starting to shuffle around on her backside I feel the need to start investigating safety measures, stair gates being the primary concern.

Looking at all the various types on t'internet I can find 2 basic types, ones that fix to the walls with no floor bar and ones that use a lower brace bar and pressure pads between the walls, meaning no hard fixing required.

Now my quandry is that on our stairs we have a lovely open oak staircase and I don't ideally want to have to screw into these, so that leaves me with the pressure fit ones, but these have the floor bar which strikes me as being inherently dangerous to have at the top of the stairs (particularly when SWMBO tends towards the clumsly end of the balance spectrum).

So what do I do? I am on the train at the moment so can't really size it up properly until I get home, but was wondering whether using some kind of silicon to stick a sacrificial strip of oak to the stair post would be strong enough to hold it and mean less damage to the post on removal?

Or do I bite the bullet, screw into the posts then drill out and plug the holes when we finally remove them to try and mask the holes as best as possible?

Am I stuck with the choice of making holes in the wood or living with the trip hazard?

 

[Racers]

Hi,

Drill and plug after its the only way to go, the pressure ones have U shaped channels you have to fix in the the wall/stairs. Just think what would happen if you didn't fix it! our 2 used to pull them selves up on them, and one gate at the top and bottom of the stairs.

Pete

 

[matt]

I had exactly the same dilemma (although original pitch pine rather than oak...). N'theless, drilled in the end because it was the only sensible thing to do. Totally agree with you re the bar at the bottom - totally stupid, esp when you start to leave the gate open during the day for the young one to start using the stairs.

 

[wizer]

Been through this. In fact our little treasure has just learned out to climb out of the COT!!

Anyway. Those pressure fit gates are a complete nuisance! As you mentioned, the bar is a trip hazard, not just on stairs. But in our last house we had one at the bottom of the stairs and the pressure required to close it, bent the newel post! I wouldn't bother with them.

This is the pressure fit gate we had

There may be better types.

We use these ones:

Which are cheap and easy to use\navigate but do require them to be screwed to the wall. I can't think of a way around that.

We also bought one of these for the top of the stairs

But it was so impractical. To open it you had to pull the latch out, down and across then unhook it with the other hand! All with a baby in the other arm. Bonkers! Also, as the promotional picture clearly demonstrate, the child can just slip underneath it! It was £50!! Ahem

None of this is helpful, I know. But there's our experience. The Cheap Lindam one is about the best of what we tried but you have to screw them into the wall\frame.

 

[Vormulac]

We went with the ones you screw into the wall/newel post because I, too, was unconvinced about the safety of a bar running along the floor at the top of the stairs. You might as well accept that having kids is going to pretty much destroy your house anyway, so a couple of screw holes are the least of your worries! :lol:

 

[ste_5150]

... the pressure required to close it, bent the newel post!

We had the same problem. Bad idea when there is no wall to support both sides.

I agree with the issues raised about the bar along the bottom of the pressure fit ones - we had a few incidents.... Little toes don't stand up well to them I'm afraid. Neither did SWMBO's! I escaped injury though, fortunately.

There is one other option - you could move to a bungalow!! :lol:

 

[Racers]

Hi,

I agree that kids will destroy the house, one tip, wax crayon can be removed with white sprit.

Pete

 

[Anonymous]

Could you wrap some wood round the newel post(s). Then screw into these?

I made my own gate and fixed a simple latch on the other side. The kids still haven't worked out how to unlock it. More to the point they don't seem to care about opening the gate.

I understand your dilemma but the kids will destroy the house (if they don't manage to destroy themselves first). My new kitchen was only painted about 9 months ago and it's already a complete mess. I've now given up inspecting little/big marks - it's easier to pretend it isn't there.

Dave

 

[Dave S]

Definitely don't get the pressure fit ones. We used these beech ones, hinge on the wall side and catches on the newell posts. I would definitely buy the same again.

When you remove them, you really ought to be able to make a very good repair that is nearly invisible unless you know it is there. After all, restorers do that all the time. :wink:

Dave

 

[gidon]

We also bought one of these for the top of the stairs

But it was so impractical. To open it you had to pull the latch out, down and across then unhook it with the other hand! All with a baby in the other arm. Bonkers! Also, as the promotional picture clearly demonstrate, the child can just slip underneath it! It was £50!! Ahem

We have two of these - one at top, one at bottom. We had little choice since we have very narrow stairs. They can be operated one-handed although they are a bit fiddly and more annoyingly operated one handed they are noisy when the children are asleep! But they don't get in the way when open and can't be climbed (well our lot haven't worked it out yet and the oldest is 4!). Oh and they are expensive as Tom has mentioned.

Cheers

Gidon

 

[loftyhermes]

Hi,

I agree that kids will destroy the house, one tip, wax crayon can be removed with white sprit.

Pete

We childproofed the house, but they're still getting in.

 

[lurker]

At the other end of the age range :roll:

I've just made & fitted a gate at the top of the stairs for the daft old bat next door but one (she's 94 you know!!).

She went to the bog one night miss stepped as she was passing the stair well and fell down the stairs. Her cries were heard by the postie at midday next day.

Told SWIMBO I'd better knock one up for us as it won't be long before it needs fitting :lol:

 

[TrimTheKing]

Definitely don't get the pressure fit ones. We used these beech ones, hinge on the wall side and catches on the newell posts. I would definitely buy the same again.

When you remove them, you really ought to be able to make a very good repair that is nearly invisible unless you know it is there. After all, restorers do that all the time. :wink:

Dave

Problem is I only have wall on one side, at the bottom of the stairs, and no wall at the top as the staircase opens out into a vaulted hall.

The newell posts are 100mmx100mm so I imagine they should take the strain of the pressure ones.

SWMBO took some photo's with her phone earlier and sent them over to me, and it looks like there is room at the from of the top and bottom steps to allow us to use the pressure ones and get the silly bottom brace bar below the level of the steps, so hopefully this will be the answer.

Am going to borrow one from a mate this evening and test it, will let you know...

Cheers all

 

[wizer]

100mmx100mm

Mine where 100x100. Perhaps bent was the wrong word. It basically tore it out of it's fixing. The technical term for the result is 'p*ssed'. You may also dent the Oak. The amount of pressure needed to fix them is huge.

 

[Night Train]

You could make a piece of tight fitting channel to go over the inner faces of the newel posts to give you the two sides of the gate frame. the gate can then be hinged on one side and locked on the other side.

The lengths of channel can be wedged tight on to the newel posts or held with some nice wooden banding around the top and bottom that can be dovetailed in place as a frame around the post and held tight with screws through the dovetails. That way there is no damage to the post and the gate attachments are secure.

 

[TrimTheKing]

100mmx100mm

Mine where 100x100. Perhaps bent was the wrong word. It basically tore it out of it's fixing. The technical term for the result is 'p*ssed'. You may also dent the Oak. The amount of pressure needed to fix them is huge.

Bugger, that's knocked that one on the head then!

I will have to have a look though, will take some pics tonight and post up as the 100mm posts are part of a whole green oak frame, so may well go down to floor level, will see...

 

[studders]

At the other end of the age range :roll:

I've just made & fitted a gate at the top of the stairs for the daft old bat next door but one (she's 94 you know!!).

She went to the bog one night miss stepped as she was passing the stair well and fell down the stairs.

OMG I've nearly done the same so many times, and I'm not 94 you know.

My nephew used to charge at the stair gate, full throttle, so he could bounce back off it. Used to scare the crap outta me, which is why he probably did it despite being threatened with deportation if he did it again. Little git. :lol:

 

[TrimTheKing]

You could make a piece of tight fitting channel to go over the inner faces of the newel posts to give you the two sides of the gate frame. the gate can then be hinged on one side and locked on the other side.

The lengths of channel can be wedged tight on to the newel posts or held with some nice wooden banding around the top and bottom that can be dovetailed in place as a frame around the post and held tight with screws through the dovetails. That way there is no damage to the post and the gate attachments are secure.

Now that is a good idea, I will see what comes out of tonight and might just do that. I have some oak that will match almost perfectly.

So the next question is, when you say 'channel', how would that look to someone like me?

 

[Night Train]

Now that is a good idea, I will see what comes out of tonight and might just do that. I have some oak that will match almost perfectly.

So the next question is, when you say 'channel', how would that look to someone like me?

Make a shallow channel with wood so that the inside dimension is 100mm wide by maybe 40-50mm deep and the length of the post that you want the gate to reach to.

That will cover the inner faces of each post and provide fixing points for the gate and will be solidly located.

To stop the channels from coming off make up 'U' shaped straps to go around the outer faces of the posts. The ends of the straps can over lap the sides of the channel with a half lap dovetail so that it doesn't pull away. A small screw through the centre of the dovetail into the channel will stop the dovetail pulling outwards. I will try and do a sketch.

 

[matt]

The other problem with the pressure type is that they create a false sense of security. The child will no doubt lean on the gate until, one day... It's loses it's grip and child and gate will go down the stairs. I surprised they're allowed to sell them - at least for use at the top of stairs.