What age are stair gates used for?

Stair gates are a simple and inexpensive way to make sure all the staircases in your home are made safe and are blocked from crawling babies, toddling toddlers and running children. You should put up stair gates as soon as your baby begins to learn to crawl, to make sure there’s no risk of them heading towards the stairs.

How to fit a stair gate with a skirting board?

If you have a skirting board along the bottom of a wall you want to attach a stair gate to, it can cause problems with some models of stair gates. The skirting board will stick out further than the wall above, meaning the stair gate will need to be placed against an uneven wall on at least one side.

But many stair gates come with fittings at the side that can be adjusted, allowing them to fit against uneven walls and cope with skirting boards. If you have skirting boards, make sure you buy a stair gate with adjustable fittings, rather than trying ad-hoc and potentially unsafe solutions.

Can you use a pressure mounted gate at the top of the stairs?

Pressure mounted stair gates aren’t recommended for use at the top of stairs, as in some situations they may not be secure enough. With enough force, pressure mounted stair gates can be pushed out of position, especially if they aren’t checked regularly and their fittings have become looser over time.

Pressure mounted stair gates are more suitable for use at the bottom of the stairs, where falls down staircases can’t happen. They also make excellent room dividers that can block off rooms with unsafe items and areas, like kitchens and bathrooms.