DIY Security Systems
Child home safety gates protect your child from going to restricted parts of your home. These gates can also keep your child in a safe place wherein you can monitor them in a single glimpse. Child safety gates can be quite expensive, so it is best to know how to build a child safety gate rather than purchasing one.
Determining When and Where to Put the Child Safety Gate
Before we start, a parent needs to determine when and where should the baby gates be placed. The best time for you to install and build a safety gate is when your baby begins to crawl. Most babies start to crawl around 6 to 11 months, depending on the baby.
Experts believe that building baby gates at an early stage will be proven beneficial in the long run. Although it may seem like a bit early, it is better to be proactive than suffer the consequences. During these times, you should somehow know how to build a child safety gate for your baby’s safety.
How to Build a Child Safety Gate
Having your child safety gate would be better if you’ve chosen the wooden gate. Wood materials are very easy to come by and can be available in most local stores and hardware stores. Also, wood is quite cheap when you compare it to the alloy, steel, and all sorts. Here are your useful and easy guide on how to build a child safety gate.
Step 1
Before diving into building our wooden child safety gate directly, we must first gather all the necessary tools and equipment before we even start. This include:
- four pieces of Pine Boards (the pieces may vary depending on the size of the gate you are making)
- Deck screws
- Hinges
- Preferred Latch
- Paint or Stain, or even Vinyl(for the covering or design of the entire gate)
Step 2
Measure the spaces between the door to get the appropriate width. This is important because the comfort of your child relies on perfect sizing.
Step 3
Using a miter saw, cut the boards according to size. Be sure that they are all the same to have a formal look.
Step 4
Once your pine boards are cut, lay them everything on the floor. Determine how much spacing needed for each pine board.
Step 5
Drill the holes at the center of the upper part and the lower part of the pine board.
Step 6
Layout the drilled pine boards on the floor vertically. Using the other pine board, gently place them horizontally onto the laid-out pine boards at the top and bottom of the vertically-laid pine boards for screwing, By this time, your pine boards should look like a single gate.
Step 7
Screw them tightly. After screwing the pine board. Screw in the hinges for them to be attached to the entrance of the door.
Step 8
Once you’ve screwed in the hinges, screw them in through the wall near your door. Stain or paint them in your designed style. And you are done!
Remember that our very own safety gate is specifically made for our door, and may differ from what others are thinking. Moreover, it only requires a few pine boards and screws to make one. Pretty basic and cost-effective.
The Do’s and Don’ts on Child Safety Gates
There are many things to be aware of and consider when it comes to building safety gates for your child. You must be very particular when you want to know how to build a child safety gate. Here are the things you should and should not do about it:
The Do’s in Building Child Safety Gates
Get the Right Gate
The most common areas for safety gates on stairs, hallways, and entrance. Pressure-mounted gates aren’t the ideal gates installed in these places. They can easily budge and be a tripping hazard, especially for older people, causing unwanted injuries. Instead of pressure-mounted gates, what we recommend is a hardware-mounted type of gate. Sure, it might be a tad too taxing when screwing and attaching other components, but it’s a safer choice.
Call an Expert
An expert can just install a gate in any type of material, whether it’d be glass, tiles, and all sorts. Also, they are experts in this type of job, and the results are quite effective. Remember that your child’s safety is important, splurging a little amount of cash won’t hurt anyway if it means additional safety and protection of your child.
The Don’ts in Building Child Safety Gates
Don’t Install the Gate Too High Off the Ground
The spaces between the baseboards and the floor are to accommodate your pets. However, it may be a choking hazard, especially for kids. Having enough space for your kids to crawl underneath is a No-no. The space between the baseboard and the floor shouldn’t exceed 3 inches to prevent injuries. If possible, add baby proofing to it.
Don’t Leave the Gate Up Way Too Long
In a certain age, babies and toddlers can climb the gate, which can pose a whole new set of risks and hazards. When your children can now get up and down the stairs safely, it might be appropriate to remove the gate. If your kid has a younger sibling, teach the older one how to open and close the gate. Also, parents should go through gates like them and not just stepping over them. In this way, kids will learn by your example.
Never Stack Two Gates on Top of Each Other
If your toddler has already figured out how to climb your safety gate, you may be tempted to put another one on top of the gate to raise the overall elevation. But if it isn’t specially made for these kinds of upgrades, it might not be the best time to add one as it may be a potential risk and may lead to serious injuries.
Conclusion
Child safety gates are tested and proven to keep your wandering kids from restricted parts of your home. Also, building your very own child safety gate can save you lots of money. However, parents should know how to build a child safety gate properly, and lucky for you, I’ve laid it all out. If that gate isn’t quite up to par with the safety standards, though, you might need to buy one. As parents, we should do whatever it takes to protect our children from any hazard a home can contain. Here’s how to learn more about Child Safety.