A good and attractive house design is not enough to make the house safe for children. There are many areas that must considered carefully for the children safety, especially the stairs area. 20 percent of parents consider stairs as the concern area in the home for child protection.
Some stairs that considered unsafe for children include failed stair gates that do not effectively secure the stairs, floors can pose a tripping or slipping hazard, and waist-high balustrades or railings in bad installation. For this reason, to make the stairs safer for children, the following things must be considered.
Stair Gate
To provide extra security for children in the stairwell area, you can make stair gates at the bottom and top of the stairs. This can applied to any type of stair, and choose the best fits gate with the width of the stair, so that the stairs are not accessible to children.
Stair Floor
When your family go up and down through the stair, it is important that there is no danger of tripping or slipping. Here are four ways to help keep stairs safe.
- Make sure the stair carpet is in good condition.
- Repair frayed areas and ensure the carpet is securely attached to the stair treads. If the stair tread is painted or polished, the underside tread can be slippery, especially for those who wear socks.
- Always make sure that children wear sandals or go barefoot when going up and down stairs.
- Apply a coat of non-slip paint or clear varnish over a polished or painted stair tread.
- Make sure all toys or objects are put in appropriate and safe home storage and not lying around stairs that could causing tripping.
Staircase Maintenance
Keeping the stair in good condition will help prevent possible accidents. Support poles located at both ends of the ledge should also considered. It is very important that the stair posts are secure and not wobbly at all, especially if you are planning to install a stair gate. Seek any advice and expertise of an experienced carpenter or stair specialist if you have any doubts about your stair safety.
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