Choosing a Stair Gate
Stair Gates or baby gates are designed to prevent your child from falling down the stairs or to stop them from having access to parts of your home. They range from 60cm to 1m wide and come in two main fixing styles, pressure fitting and screw fixing.
What type of Stair Gates are available?
Wall Mounted Stair Gates
These can be used at the top of the stairs or in doorways. Screw fitting stair gates are relatively straightforward to install but do require fixings to be screwed to the wall. This means that the gate will be a permanent fixture.Screw fix gates are recommended for the top of stairs as when correctly fitted they are the most sturdy and have no bracing bar across the bottom which would cause a trip hazard.
CLICK HERE to see our range of wall mounted gates
Pressure Fitting Stair Gates
Pressure fitting baby gates are easy to fit without the need to make holes in the walls. They expand to fill the opening using a screw mechanism.
These gates are ideal for separating rooms on the same level or at the bottom of the stairs. Pressure fitting gates should not be used at the top of the stairs.
Pressure fitting gates offer the benefit of being easily moved between openings. It should be noted that although these gates are not permanent they are likely to leave permanent marks on your wall coverings!
CLICK HERE to see our range of pressure fix stair gates
Wooden Stair Gates
Both screw and pressure fitting gates are available in a wood finish. The main advantage of wooden gates over the usual metal gates is that they are much easier on the eye! Bear in mind if you have pets that wooden gates may be easily damaged.
Self Closing Safety Gates
The clue is in the name! These gates close by themselves to give extra security and peace of mind. These gates are generally supplied in a pressure fitting.
Travel Stair Gates
These are collapsible gates for travelling and are pressure mounted so no fixing required. They are designed to be easily portable and are usually made of heavy duty nylon mesh.
Stair Gate Extension Pieces
If your stair opening is wider than usual some manufacturers make extension pieces for their gates. Be sure to check that an extension is available for your chosen gate before you buy as they are not universal.
