Basic Types of Safety Gates – Comparison of Screw and Pressure Fitting Gates to Prevent Your Child From Accessing Unsafe Areas
Why Do I Need a Safety Gate?
Safety gates are an absolutely essential item when you have small children around the house. Gates can be strategically placed to prevent your child from falling down the stairs or being able to access certain area of the home. The trick is to find the right style that works for your specific needs. Some careful consumer research and shopping can help you avoid amassing a vast collection of gates that didn’t work for your needs. I have three children, two of whom are still toddlers, and I speak from experience here. By the time my little ones outgrew their need for safety gates, my husband and I had amassed a collection large enough to stock a baby gate museum. I'd like to help you avoid the same fate.
What Kind of Safety Gates are Available?
There are essentially two main categories of safety gates that can be used on stairways and in doorways, and they are basically classified according to how they mount to the opening where they’ll be used:
This type of gate is securely mounted to the wall, banister or doorway with screws. Screw fitting gates are usually easy to install but, you do need some tools on hand (particularly a screwdriver and a drill). If you are mounting this type of gate to a wall, be sure to use a stud-finder or anchored screws so that the mounting is secure. The advantage of screw fitted safety gates are that, when properly mounted, they are very sturdy and secure. There is also no bar across the bottom, as is necessary for pressure fitted safety gates, and on stairs, bottom bars can be a tripping hazard.
Pressure Fitting Safety Gates
This gate is very handy if you do not want to do a permanent screw mounting that you’ll have to later patch up when the gate is no longer in use. Pressure safety gates have an internal spring or screw-out portion that can be expanded outward until the gate is securely wedged in the doorframe. These gates are perfect for using between rooms, but are not to be used to secure stairways. Pressure fitted gates are very convenient, since they can easily be moved from doorway to doorway as needed.
What If the Opening Is Not Standard Size?
Don’t worry, there are a vast array of specialty gates and kits available that will enable you to fit a gate to an odd or irregular shaped opening. This usually costs you a bit more, but, in the long run, finding the perfect safety gate for your needs will end up saving you money.
Have you found a favorite type or brand of safety gate, or a poor one that you would not recommend? Please comment and share that knowledge with other Organic Family Circle readers.
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