Child Safety Gates

!±8± Child Safety Gates

As babies become toddlers, they want to be everywhere. They're crawling or starting to walk in their staggering way throughout the house. With that change, stairs, cooking areas, swimming pools and decks can become threats to a child's safety. Since it is almost impossible to keep them away from these areas and still accomplish anything else, a great solution to this problem is child safety gates.

Safety Gate Types

Child safety gates come in three general types: Hardware mounted gates; pressure mounted gates and walk-through gates. Hardware mounted gates have each end of the gate connected to a wall stud by lag screws or other large screws or bolts. If for some reason a stud is not available at the point of proposed connection to the wall, then a special mounting kit can be purchased which facilitates connection to a stud. Once the mounting plate in the kit is secured to the stud, then the gate fastens to it, forming a solid and dependable barrier. This is the ideal and mandatory gate to use at the head of a set of stairs.

The pressure mounted gate, as the name suggests, is designed to exert outward pressure at each end, holding the gate firmly between two walls in a hall, for example. This style is fine for restriction of movement all on the same level. It will fit unusually shaped areas, and it is mobile. Thus, it works while traveling or as a gate at grandma's house whenever the grandchild comes to visit. It can easily be taken down and stored when it's not needed. NEVER use this type of gate at the head of a set of stairs because the child could put enough weight against it to slide the gate out of position, causing the child to tumble down the stairs.

The third type is the walk-through gate. In this device, there is a solid gate or barrier with a hinged gate built into one end of it. It allows an adult to walk through it, but not the child. The gate must always be kept latched.

General Gate Precautions

The slats in all gates should be vertical so that the child cannot climb over it and should be no more than four inches apart. Solid mesh or expandable mesh gates should be avoided because the mesh material can allow a child to climb over the gate. Be sure to latch every gate each time it is used. Now for the tough one for parents: Don't step over a gate rather than opening it. Your child will see this and try to mimic you as they get older. All gates should have the American Society of Testing and Materials International (ASTMI) or Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) certification. The JPMA standards are based on the ASTM standards, so both arrive at the same end.

There are three types of child safety gates, including hardware mounted, pressure mounted and walk-through gates. Hardware mounted will always provide the sturdiest barrier to keep a child safe. The other two types fill other special niches, such as the pressure mounted version's mobility. Always be sure to purchase child safety gates that are ASTM or JPMA approved. Following these simple guidelines will help keep our children and grandchildren safe.

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