Baby Gates 101
Keeping your kids away from the fireplace, stairwells, and kitchen isn’t easy. You can try moving the furniture around, but children learn to climb couches quickly, and you probably don’t want to have your living room arranged like that. Lucky for you, there are many companies that baby gates, and there does exist one for your situation out there.
Pressure Mounted Baby Gates
These gates work by pulling (or pushing) a lever that exerts pressure against the doorway. The pressure outward is supposed to be enough to keep the gate up. In my experience, however, these gates are trouble in the long run. Once a child is heavier and of toddler age, it’s easy to push this gate over and down (which becomes a safety hazard of its own). Also, the doorway, if it’s not made from steel, will eventually become damaged from the constant pressure of the gate.
They make these gates so they appear to be easy to use, often with “one-handed” controls. Only since they are not installed, and are just held up by the pressure exerted, once they are released, it’s not so easy to balance the gate and get it into position if you have a baby in one arm.
Pressure mounted baby gates are ok to use between rooms on the same level, but never use these gates near stairs. They are not stable enough, and can lead to serious injury if the child pushed the gate over.
Hardware Installed Swing Gates
This kind of baby gate is installed via a hinge on one side of the doorway, and has the latching mechanism installed on the opposite side of the doorway. They are much easier to open and close while holding a baby, since you don’t need to balance the gate into position – it just swings shut. They are also more visually appealing than plastic pressure gates.
Some people worry about damaging their doorways by installing the swing gates, and choose pressure gates instead. But keep in mind – the pressure gate will eventually damage the doorway after years of use. The swing gate won’t damage anything – it’ll only leave a few screw holes, which can easily be filled and covered later.
If you’re placing the baby gate at the top of the steps, be sure it opens only in one direction – the direction away from the stairs – to prevent falls.
Hearth Baby Gates
These gates are best used when trying to keep your child away from areas like a fire place. They extend outward from a wall, and come with a swinging door in one section of the gate.
Custom-Baby Gates
If you have an area that you need to keep your child away from, but you have not found a baby gate that fits yet, you may want to consider purchasing a custom made baby gate. Sometimes these are order in parts from a catalog, while in other situations you buy them from the company, who creates the plan and installs them for you.
Old Fashioned Accordion-Style Wooden Gates
Maybe your parents or grandparents had this from when you were a child, and have passed it on to use with your own children. These gates have slats that close together in diamond shapes when pushed aside. Apologize to your mom or grandma, and tell them you will not be using their old gate. Children can get their heads or fingers trapped in the slats, creating a new danger for the child.