The issue of arranging children's fences for stairs is regulated by state standards, within the framework of which the characteristics and parameters put forward for these products are presented. Using the requirements of GOST will allow you to equip a safe and reliable design.
The main feature of the design of railings for children is the mandatory installation of vertical racks, since the horizontal arrangement of the rails will allow the baby to use them as a ladder to get to the handrail.
The maximum gap between the racks should not exceed 100 mm, so that the child could not squeeze between them. To protect the baby when moving up the stairs, it is necessary to install an additional handrail at a height of 0.5 m.
In the manufacture of stair railings in places of frequent stay of children, metal elements should be used so that the child does not receive damage from burrs or splinter. These recommendations, based on many years of experience of professional builders, will avoid injuries and make the home safe for the baby.
Devices for ensuring the safety of children and their features
Modern furniture production presents a lot of ready-made protective fences for children on the stairs. To choose the most suitable model, you should understand their types and characteristics.
Standard protective structures include:
Fixed. This type of barrier is a single-leaf door, the width of which corresponds to the size of the flight of stairs. It is equipped with a blank panel or filled with vertical slats. A prerequisite is the presence of a parental lock that fixes the structure.
Folding. This type of fencing is easily mounted in any openings and consists of separate vertical panels connected as a whole in the form of an “accordion”. They can also be used as a fence for the play area as an arena.
Sliding. Universal designs that allow you to change the width of the fence to cover any space (stairs, fireplace, technical appliances).
In addition to the described categories of staircase limiters, there are special screens made of durable glass or lattice products.
The simplest solution for equipping gates for children is the walls of the old playpen or the sides of the crib. The main condition for the installation of the barrier should be recognized as ensuring a sufficient height so that the baby could not get over the fence.
Barrier
Furniture stores and supermarkets for children's products offer a wide selection of special protective barriers. The fence for the stairs in the house from children in the form of a barrier is a single-leaf gate or swing gates.
When making this type of fence yourself, you should adhere to the above standards. In addition, it is recommended to sand all wood elements and equip a reliable device for fixing the structure.
When choosing a finished product, you need to pay attention to such barriers that can fit into the interior of the room, as well as suitable in color and shape. The lock fixing the fence should be easy to open and close so that an adult can perform this procedure with the child in her arms.
In general, we can distinguish the main parameters by which to choose a barrier:
- the reliability of the lock and the design that allows you to quickly open and close the passage;
- convenient design that allows you to quickly disassemble and transport the barrier to another place;
- the use of hypoallergenic coatings;
- natural materials.
In some types of barriers, it is possible to change its size in height and width, which makes these products more versatile.
Types of barriers
Barriers are distinguished by the degree of mobility. Stationary products include structures that are installed on predetermined places and fixed to the walls.
Portable fences include products that can be easily moved to any place and installed in openings with different widths. They can be transported, for example, to equip a safe staircase for children to the second floor of the cottage.
The most convenient barrier fastening is available. This installation option allows you to avoid violating the integrity of the walls, but it is less reliable, therefore, such fences are installed on the first floors.
Rigid wall mounting allows you to install barriers on the upper floors, where more responsible fixing is required.
Material
For the manufacture of protective barriers, metal, plastic and wood are most often used.
The most environmentally friendly material is considered wood, which also fits well in the interior with a wooden staircase. The disadvantages include poor structural strength compared to metal barriers. It is also necessary to carefully choose the paint for coating.
Metal the designs are the most reliable, but their cost significantly exceeds products from other materials.
Plastic perfectly lends itself to washing treatment, unpretentious to changes in humidity, does not decay and does not fade. In addition, this is the easiest type of material for the barrier. The only drawback is the mandatory confirmation of quality and safety, as some types of this oil product may be harmful to children.
Some products may combine all three materials.
Mounting method
The barrier can be fastened to a spreader, using special bolts, or when rallying extreme vertical posts with balusters or walls. A more convenient, but less reliable mount is available. It is usually used for installation on the steps of the first floor.
For upper floors, rigid fastening of the barrier to stationary structural elements is recommended.
Basic requirements for a barrier
First you need to decide in which place the fence from the children should appear.
If the barrier is placed on the ground floor, you can choose the fastening system in the strut. When the fence is required to be installed on the second floor and above, it is better to choose a rigid fixation.
Next, you need to decide how old the baby will be using the barrier. Very young children who have just learned to walk are unlikely to be able to cause significant damage to the fence, but the two-year-old who has grown up is quite capable of loosening an unreliable fastening.
It is important not only the strength of the barrier structure itself, but also the reliability of the lock, preventing the penetration of the child. It is best if the fence closes with 2-3 latches. They should be located in a place inaccessible to the baby, and an adult should be able to open such a lock with one hand.
The height of the barrier should exceed the height of the baby’s chest, but you must understand that the kids grow very quickly, and therefore it’s better to choose a higher fence immediately. The best option is a swing gate with an opening system in both directions, but it must be foreseen that when opening the doors do not come into contact with other furniture.
If the fence sheet consists of slats, they should be placed strictly vertically, with a gap of not more than 100 mm.
All structural elements must be carefully processed, not have sharp corners and burrs. The barrier material and paintwork must meet environmental safety requirements and allow for wet cleaning.
How to make the right choice
So that the barrier in the house does not turn out to be a useless interior item, you must adhere to the following rules when choosing it:
- the fence should be made only of high-quality materials (wood, stainless metal, plastic);
- individual parts of the fence should be tightly interconnected;
- it is better to choose a self-locking lock for the barrier to help protect yourself from the case when an adult forgets to lock the fence;
- the installation of a barrier implies minimal gaps between the wall (or baluster) and the extreme level of the fence, so that the child could not penetrate into this gap;
- The best option is sashes that have the ability to open 180 degrees.
Grid
In addition to the rigid structure of the barrier, there is a way to block the flight of stairs using a grid. This device can be made from ordinary rope or use polymeric materials.
DIY child protection
It is much cheaper to independently prepare a fence for the baby. To make a staircase fence from children with your own hands, you will need to perform a series of actions:
- Measure the width of the stairs. Determine the required height based on the recommendations made earlier.
- To purchase the necessary materials: timber (section 40 mm), rods of wood (section 20 mm), screws, wood glue, varnish, accessories (hinges, locks).
- Prepare the necessary tools: wood file, drill, fine sandpaper.
- Saw the beam into the necessary size parts. Grinding with sandpaper of corners and roughnesses.
- In the bars to be used as horizontal substrates, drill holes for the rods (at least 5 mm deep).
- Put the rods on the glue, thereby collecting the upper and lower base together.
- Assemble and fasten the structure with self-tapping screws.
- Screw the curtain on one of the vertical sides, and the lock on the second.
- Hang the structure on the hinges.
- Coat the finished structure with varnish.
To ensure safety, the elements of the fence can be closed with rubber pads that will protect parts of the baby’s body in the event of an accidental fall.
Also, parents often have to think about how to close the railing on the stairs from the child without a special device, using only improvised materials (for example, when the family is visiting). In this case, you can use the side walls from cribs, dense fabric or strips of dense material, stretched at minimum intervals.
Given all the recommendations, you can independently arrange a safe and beautiful fence that will not allow the child to get outside the permitted space.