Our homes are full of dangers for our children, and one of the biggest safety concerns is around stairs. For the safest baby gate installation, here are our recommendations that will help keep your family safe, and your furniture intact.
Tops of stairs: We recommend installing wall-mounted gates at the top of stairs because they are stronger than pressure mounted ones.
Height of baby gate: Consider the height of the baby gate you plan to use in your home. A safety gate should never be less than ¾ of your child's height because you want to minimize the chances of them climbing over the top.
Don’t allow children to hang on gates: Hanging on gates, whether that are pressure or wall mounted, is never a good idea. They were not designed for this type of pressure and can cause slippage, bending, or could cause the gate to become detached from the wall.
Check safety guidelines for older models: While we don’t recommend using second hand or older baby gates, if you must, check that there have been no safety recalls on that model and that it is in good working condition before installing it.
Use felt floor pads: If you are using a mobile baby gate or fence, consider adding felt pads to the feet so they don’t scratch your floors when you’re moving them around.
Use wall savers: When a pressure mounted gate is on a wall too long it can cause chipping of your drywall or paint. Thankfully we carry handy wall savers that attach directly to the pressure mounts so you can save your wall!.
These are just a few of the general safety considerations for baby gate installations, as with any piece of safety equipment, always read and follow the manufacturer's installation and safety instructions for baby gate installation. To be extra certain your baby gate has been installed correctly and in a safe manner, hire a professional for baby gate installation.