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misc.kids FAQ on Babyproofing - Gates
Archive-name: misc-kids/babyproofing/gates
Posting-Frequency: monthly ================================================== ============================= Additional Information on Gates ================================================== ============================= From: Judy Leedom Tyrer, Locus Computing Corporation, Los Angeles, California Well, I can tell you I hate ours. We got one that you don't permanently attach, but it uses a foot clamp that pushes two rubber pads up against the edges of the doorway. Well, it falls out with the slightest provocation. I think it was made by Gerry. Grey with a blue foot pedal. It DOES have hinges you can use to permanently attach it, but we wanted to be able to move it from room to room. ************************************************** ***************************** From: Rober Plamondon, WEITEK, Sunnyvale CA Every gate I've seen is junk. They all work real hard for a "no tools necessary" installation, and it makes them unreliable, unwieldy, and expensive. I'm looking for a "great big cordless screwdriver required for installation" gate myself. Anybody know of one? Robert Plamondon, ************************************************** ***************************** From: Pat Homsey, AT&T Bell Laboratories, New Jersey Sorry, don't have one of those. :-) But I do have one I've been able to live with. I don't know the name but I'll try to describe it. We actually bought it when we had a dog (pre-kids era). It's a white gate with plastic cris-cross mesh with openings about 2 sq.in. on a diagonal. It stays in place very nicely with tension bars at the top and bottom. You have to turn them to tighten against your door jam. It doesn't take much time to tighten or loosen. It's also short enough that I can step over it and I'm 5'4". The kids were unable to climb it due to the small openings. Crude picture alert! ________________________________ )------------------------------( - there area knobs at the four |/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\| corners that tighten/loosen. |\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/| |/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\| |\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/| |/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\| |\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/| |/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\| |\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/| |/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\| |\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/| )______________________________( -------------------------------- ************************************************** ***************************** From: Nichael Cramer, Bolt Beranek and Newman Inc., Cambridge MA We found a *great* one (well, two actually) at Somerville Lumber (which, of course, means nothing if you're from outside New England). Unfortunately, we've had it for +3yrs, so I don't remember the brand name or anything. I'm going to steal Pat's picture to give you some idea what it looks like. | | |XI ________________________________ XXX| |XI )------------------------------+---X| |XI |/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\| o|X| W |XI}{|\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/| |X| W A |XI |/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\| |X| A L |XI |\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/| |X| L L |XI |/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\| |X| L |XI |\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/| |X| |XI |/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\| |X| |XI |\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/| |X| |XI}{|/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\| |X| |XI |\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/| /XX| |XI )______________________________|/XXX| (Pieces not to scale) |XI -------------------------------/ XXX| |XI___________________________________XXX| Basically, it's a hinged gate. Two permanent attachments are made to the adjoining walls, but the itself gate is removable. On the left, the "X" part is attached to the wall. In cross-section it looks like this: |XXXXXX |X****X (Wall)|X******** .... |X******** |X****X |XXXXXX Where the "X" is the part attached to the wall and the "*" is the part of the gate to which the hinge is attached. The gate part can be lifted out and moved to be used in another doorway that has its own the "permanent" pieces in place. (The "permanent" part is attached to the wall with 2 [3?] screws and was very simple to attach.) On the right side is the "latching" mechanism. This is a little hard to draw, but in cross-section this looks like: ------------ | ********* XXXXXXX| ... ********* XXXXXXX| (Wall) ********* XXXXXXX| ------------ | Where the "*" is the gate and the "X" is a strip that is attached to the wall. The "-" part is one piece that slides up and to the left (i.e. towards the center of the gate) and so swings free of the part attached to the wall. (NOTE the "o" in the main diagram is a "bullet-latch" to keep the moving part in place.) This is almost impossible to describe and/or to draw, but is really very simple in real life. We have two which we use at the top of stairs. They're pretty heavy duty and have lasted us through two kids with no mishaps so far. ************************************************** ***************************** From: Kate Gregory, CSRI, University of Toronto Yeah, the Gerry that Judy hates :-) [Robert deleted the part where she said it screwed into the wall but they wanted to move it around]. We bought it because it was one of the few screw-into-the-wall types available, and we we had quite a clear run up the the top of the stairs. We were concerned that Beth could work up a full head of steam, smash into the gate, and knock a rubber-bumper- type right out of the doorway. Various people told us that was indeed possible. So we bought the Gerry. It is really hard to open. In fact I was insisting we should take it back till I suddenly got the knack. We had to teach everyone to open it, and I usually had to help the first 4 or 5 times. Somehow that didn't make us just leave it open. It was also VERY hard to open from below, because as you push on the foot switch it gives a little when opening from the other side. All in all though, I liked it and would recommend it. There was no other place we wanted to gate, so a movable gate held no appeal for us. In fact I liked the fact that this one hinged like a door and was waiting for you when you came back to close it. ************************************************** ***************************** From: Deantha Menon, University of Colorado, Boulder (PMH) writes: It's a white gate with plastic cris-cross mesh with openings about 2 sq.in. on a diagonal. It stays in place very nicely with tension bars at the top and bottom. You have to turn them to tighten against your door jam. It doesn't take much time to tighten or loosen. we also have one of these for the dogs. it works well for its barrier purposes, but it leaves marks on the walls that require paint jobs to repair. so unless you don't mind marred walls..... ************************************************** ***************************** From: Clare Chu Ayala, Nynex Science and Technology I wish I had asked before getting that gate. It is made by Gerry and we failed utterly at installation. We drilled the doorway and put the hinges in. Little did we know that the hinges would be so unsteady. Basically even with the hinges in, you still need to push the rubber pads up against the edges of the doorway. If the doorway is not perfectly parallel, it doesn't fit correctly. We got it because it had a foot pedal and we thought (incorrectly) that my mother-in-law would be able to use it without bending down. Now it is just $30 junk sitting in her closet. Incidentally, we do have a Supergate (about $20), and that gate has a kit inside that has 8 plastic cups (4 for doorway, 4 for rails) that you can screw into the doorway. We screwed 4 in (2 on each side) at the same level as the rubber pads. Now that gate is easy to put in (just fit it in between the plastic cups, extend and latch). Our son can no longer understand why he can't push the gate down anymore! We might try using the remaining 4 plastic pads (for rails) with that blasted *#%@#!& Gerry gate (I don't know if it'll work), but if it did, we'd only use it without the foot-pedal, taking the time to twist the two tightener knobs every time and forget about it swinging. For pressure-rubber gates try the SuperGate (I got mine at Service Merchandise). It is grey, has diamond-like plastic pattern, and has a plastic lever-like latch in the middle that you can bend down in 3 positions to get the desired tightness. We've found that after installing the 4 door pads, we only have to use the least tight position. This also evened out the non-parallelness of our doorway. That gate also has hardware for hinges (although we haven't tried that since it works pretty well with just the pads). Don't get the Gerry gate, it's worthless!!! I wish I could just get gates that have hardware on both sides. Maybe I'll make one myself. I'll use the Gerry gate, drill some holes and attach a hinge on one side and a latch on the other side. That's an idea. ************************************************** ***************************** From: Laura Floom, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA For a good mail order source try the Perfectly Safe Company (1-800-837-kids). I had a gate that I bought locally, but is also available thru them. It is wood and has vertical slats. On each side of the door frame you connect two eyebolts. Then there are three hooks (2 on one side, one on the other) that hook into the eyebolts. Then instead of a hook for the forth eyebolt there is a little clamp thingy that keeps the whol thing from being taken off too easily. You can remove the whole gate easily (and with extra eyebolts - use it in more then one location), or you can disconnect the side with the clamp and swing it aside, You can even collapse it in a bit. The come in two sizes. One fits most standard doors, and the other size expands up to 96 inches. The gates cost $19.95 for the 27"-48" model and 39.95 for the 52"-96" one. I used the larger one to seperate the living room from the dining room. Worked great. I am not good at describing this sort of thing. P.S. I think it is made by Cosco, but dont hold me to it. ************************************************** ***************************** From: Steve Albert, AT&T Bell Laboratories In article , (Mike Fields) writes: On to the reason for the post. What we have is called the "Walk-thru Ultra Gate" by Nuline industries in Wisconson. It locks/releases with a latch at I have to toss in another endorsement. We use the Ultra Gate in 3 different spots, each of which is installed slightly differently. The gate is very easy to open/close (for an adult) and can be mounted in what might otherwise be "non-protectable" spots. ************************************************** ***************************** From: Steve Glassman uunet!decwrl!steveg We made very simple (but effective) baby gates (or fences) with 2x4's and 1 inch dowels. Cut 2 2x4 lengths equal to the width of the doorway. Drill 1 inch diameter holes about 5 inches apart (measured from center of one hole to the center of the next - 6 inches is too wide since it leaves a 5 inch gap between the bars). The leftmost and rightmost holes should be only about 4 - 4.5 inches from the ends or the end gaps will be too big. Cut the dowels to 2 foot lengths. Assemble with one 2x4 on the bottom, one on the top and the dowels in between. Baby gates tend to be virtually permanent (from about 6 months old to ?). So you can just nail the 2x4's to the wall. The result is secure and looks pretty good (especially if you finish the 2x4's and dowels). We used the railing from a banister as the top of the gate, so that it looked a little nicer. We also did a slightly fancier connection to the wall, just in case we wanted to take it down temporarily (we haven't yet). The only tricks are cutting the 2x4 lengths correctly for moldings at the base of the wall, and adjusting for the width of the moldings when drilling the holes for the dowels so that the dowels line up vertically. Measure carefully. ************************************************** ***************************** From: Jeff Richards Just read your FAQ on Baby Gates and found that no one mentioned the ones that we have. We are quite pleased with them and have bought 3, one for each entrance to our kitchen. They are made by Fischer-Price and cost around $25.00 US. (or at least they did 2 1/2 years ago). They are the rubber-pressure type, and if _really_ pushed on hard (harder than a toddler will push) if installed correctly will move. If installed or adjusted incorrectly, they will not stay up at all. When installed correctly, I would lean against it with all my 190 lbs to determine if I had it right. The catches are a) the walls must be no more than 38" apart, no less than 30 " apart (I may be a little off on the dimensions) b) the walls must be flat c) the gate must be adjusted _properly_ and installed _properly_ d) the gate must be installed with the _adjustment_ controls on the _OUTSIDE_, meaning, so the kid can't get at them These gates have the same diagonal criss-cross design that all the other plastic gates appear to have. As mentioned, they are adjustable. You can even re-adjust it in about a minute if you want to move it somewhere else. To adjust it, you release the controls, size the gate to the opening, take the gate out of the opening, manually size the gate to 1/2 to 1" larger, then re-clamp the controls. Then, you just grab the handle on the top, and push the buttons (two, one for a lefty or righty), put it in the opening, and release. Pressing the buttons _pulls_ the pressure spots in. Since you size the gate _larger_ than the opening, the pressure holds it in place. Taking the gate down or putting it up with your right hand while carrying a 20 lb. toddler is no problem at all. One caveat. I would _NOT_ use this gate at the top of a stairs. For the top of the stairs I actually had to install a 2x4 on one side, and drill into some faux-wrought iron to install one of the accordian style gates. We have never had a problem with the Fischer-Price gates. Is it that no one knows about them, or that they are considered a no-no that it's not in the FAQ? ************************************************** **************************** From: Mary Csernica In article , (Marie Goldenberg) wrote: We need to put gates at the top of 2 stairways, plus one in an open doorway (no door, just a passageway) between the kitchen and living room. Several people have told me not to put the swing-out type at the tops of stairs, so I guess the sliding type are the only ones to use. 1. Looks like the sliding type must all be removed to walk through. Is this true? 2. Someone at the Baby Superstore told me that none of the gates are 'approved' for stairtop use - something about the manufacturers being afraid to make this claim for fear of liability suits. Are there any that are actually approved for stairways? 3. Because of the way the stair rails go, the first gate I bought was too tall and would not fit. Looks like a 24" tall gate would fit - are there any out there? 4. A neighbor who has the same floorplan said theirs was (he thought) a Safety First; and it attaches using hardware, in such a way that it fits on the front of the newel posts, rather than between them. Anyone know where I can find one of these (the neighbor didn't remember)? Any general recommendations for/against a particular gate? ...Mom to soon-to-be-mobile 'Fang'... I don't know what your floor plan is like, but we have a split level home where the stairs are pretty much part of the main living area, so we wanted to _be sure_ that whatever we put would be safe. Since it's split level, the whole staircase area is really two staircases wide (one up, one down). And there's just a metal bannister between. Here's what we did: First we bought some pegboard and tied it in several places to the metal bannister so Peter wouldn't get his head stuck or fall through. Then we basically built a half door: we nailed piece of panelling to a frame built of 1x4's, screwed a small 1x4 into the wall, and hinged the two together. The door is just slightly wider than the staircase going down, so it hits the bannister/pegboard when closed. There's a hook and eye on the bottom of the back side to hold it closed. We then use a cheap pressure-type gate on the half of the staircase that goes up. This is wedged between the wall and the pegboard. I don't know if this makes sense to you, but if you want more information, let me know. ************************************************** **************************** From: Michal Peri, Gordian; Santa Ana Heights, CA We have a gate we use at the top of our stairway. It has two spring-loaded catches on each side that clamp onto eyelets screwed into the wall. If you unclamp the catches on one side it swings open (the catches on the other side act as a hinge). You can also unclamp the catches on both sides to completely remove the gate. It was the only gate we found that did not explicitly warn against use at the top of stairs. The gate is a Gerry. It cost about $20-25, I think. We got it at HomeBase. They had a better selection of gates at a lower price than the baby specialty stores. ************************************************** ***************************** |
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