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Safety gate for top of stairs

(21 Posts)
Mishap Tue 22-Oct-13 16:21:47

I want to fit a safety gate at the top of our stairs, as we will be looking after our GD for a day each week when she returns to work. Does anyone have any recommendations as to which type might be best please?

Anne58 Tue 22-Oct-13 16:37:24

Not sure which make, however I do recommend that you get one that can be opened, rather than having to be taken down each time, iykwim.

kittylester Tue 22-Oct-13 16:41:09

We've got Lindam (sp) as they can be extended and are easy to take down when not in use. They are easy to open one handed and spring closed behind you too.

We find them invaluable as we have two staircases one at the front and one at the back of the house and someone's law says you'd always be watching the wrong one thlgrin

Enjoy your DGD Mishap sunshine

vegasmags Tue 22-Oct-13 17:57:07

BabyDan is also a good make, and come in a range of sizes/extensions. These modern gates that open, instead of having to climb over, are a great idea. However, in my experience, you do have to measure the opening very carefully. Some gates are pressure fit and some you have to fix to the wall - the pressure fit ones are good as they can be moved to different locations, but you may not feel they are quite as childproof as the fixed type. Is it worthwhile investing in 2 gates, one at the bottom of the stairs as well as one at the top?

harrigran Tue 22-Oct-13 18:47:04

We fixed a gate to the wall at the top of the stairs. I feared the pressure fit might be dislodged and they also have a bar to step over which can be a trip hazard when carrying a child.

Mishap Tue 22-Oct-13 20:54:25

Thanks for the advice. I have ordered a Lindam extendable gate (it's a wide gap) - the type that needs fixings screwed into the wall, as that seems safer for the top of the stairs.

I hope it is as easy to fit as they say it is!!

We have a travel stair gate at the bottom, as it is a very odd space, partly due to two stair rails.

Deedaa Tue 22-Oct-13 22:25:19

After 7 years I have know idea what make my daughter has, but they have it fixed to the walls for security. DGs did fall down stairs once but only because Daddy forgot to shut the gate!!!

gracesmum Tue 22-Oct-13 22:39:56

DD had the sort fixed into the wall as they have a vertiginous staricase in a big Victorian house - scares me rigid. I had 2 Lindarm ones and lent her one for DGS's bedroom door so that he and DGS2 could play there e.g . after their baths. Then we found DGS1 (aged 3) could open any type of safety gate ever devised. Worried about what will happen when DGS2 is out of his cot and into a bed.........
They still have one at the foot of the stairs so that in the worst case scenario a child would not land on the hard Minton tiles in the hall. I am so much happier when they are here as we have a dog leg staircase with only about 9 steps to each part, all carpeted and so a soft landing if it came to it!

jennycockerspaniel Wed 23-Oct-13 00:36:31

I had a stair gate at the top and had a had a landing with wooden turned posts and hand rail MY little granddaughter slipped through ,luckily she was alright it is easily to forget about this so I put stairgate and blocked landing when i had my puppy also

HildaW Wed 23-Oct-13 14:58:19

Our extendible Lindam has been very reliable and fits a rather odd sized gap (Barn conversion with far from standard sized anything). We put it up on the half landing when the family visit and take it down when they have gone home. It leaves no marks and is a good fit. Mind you we now have 'doggy' safety gates at bottom to stop darling Poppy from invading the elderly cat's territory.

markjohn Sat 11-Jan-14 05:57:42

Yes even I would go with the BabyDan since they have lot of variation like sizes, shapes, designs. So that would make you easy to choose as which one fits you stairs and space the best.

Deedaa Sat 11-Jan-14 21:06:28

I've just bought the Lindam extendable gate to keep GS2 out of the kitchen. Works well and very easy to fit. The only snag was that the first one arrived with no fixings. Fortunately I'd ordered it from John Lewis so I was able to collect the replacement the next day.

jennycockerspaniel Sat 11-Jan-14 22:48:33

I was going to mention landing as my little granddaughter slipped through but was luckily not hurt also Eve has a older brother but he was fine like you I had it still up when I had my puppy and have put warnings on my dog forums that I belong to. Its the shock even if they are alright

Aka Sat 11-Jan-14 22:59:17

I got a great one from IKEA - a wooden one which is difficult even for me to open. It expands to fit different sized stairwells.

Nelliemoser Sat 11-Jan-14 23:17:21

I have been thinking about one of those it would be a beggar to fit at the either end of our stairs though. we have rounded newel posts. Find a brand that would fit and look on Ebay.

DD bought an Ikea high chair from Ebay for my house for me to collect from about 6 miles from me. They come very cheap but are very sturdy. When I have finished it will go back on Ebay.

rosesarered Thu 16-Jan-14 17:52:48

Luckily, for child falling downstairs scenario, we live in a bungalow. However, we too used to have a Lindam gate, and it was very good, easy to use and sturdy, but DGS soon knew how to work it [well, he was a clever little chap.]
when our 3 children were young, they took turns at all falling down the stairs, but luckily were quite unhurt, as we had all carpets everywhere.

pamelabee Wed 30-Apr-14 16:16:41

having difficulty finding a stair gate as the newel post at the top of the stairs is stainless steel and the stair case sides glass. i can fix one to the wall side at the top but cannot find anything to connect to the steel

pamelabee Wed 30-Apr-14 16:19:11

having difficulty finding a safety gate for top of stairs. newell post is steel and the staircase sides glass. i could fix a gate into the wall but cannot find any to fix to the round steel post on the other side

Nelliemoser Wed 30-Apr-14 17:32:55

It would seem to be very difficult to attach a stair gate to the steel newel post. Without knowing what the layout of your landing is it's difficult to know what to suggest.

If all else fails how about some sort of net looped around the newel post that could be pulled across the gap and attached to a wooden lath on the wall at the other side. I can visualise something but that's not very helpful.

In many ways the top stair gate really just needs to delay a baby or toddler long enough for any escape attempts to be foiled by the adult in attendance.

I cobbled together a sliding panel on some plastic trunking nailed to the floor and being being bolted onto a lath screwed onto the solid wall. but for this you need enough space on the same side of the newel post to be able to slide the gate back to open it.

pamelabee Wed 30-Apr-14 17:51:30

thanks - the net idea reminds me of what we did when our boys were toddlers. the 1970s staircase was just the right size for a small person to crawl through so we used netting from a yacht. will have a think about that.

lasker2 Wed 29-Aug-18 20:26:29

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