I'm building another custom baby gate to match another clients staircase, again. They are actually good friends of mine. This one will be different as it will not be hinge mounted. It will be similar to the ones that pressure fit between two walls, accept I have never met one of those that actually works. :-) This one will have bolt latches that will recess into holes drilled in the walls on each side. One side is 1/2" hardwood painted trim and the other side is brick. When the babies are all grown the holes can be filled with putty or mortar.
Here's the progress so far...
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I'll add pictures of the finished product mounted in place, later.
Nice workmanship. I assume you are open to comments. I hope so. ;-)
Have you considered using metal rods instead of dowels? Dowels crack and become sharp objects.
Have you considered the usability of the 4-point attachment system? One major advantage of a hinged gate with a latch of some sort is that they can be operated with one hand. That 4-point system looks like it could be a real pain when the user has a load of laundry or perhaps a temper- tantruming 3 YO in their arms.
If it can't be opened and closed with 1 hand a dangerous situation could occur if the user says to themselves "It won't take me long to run this basket downstairs." Distractions occur, gates are forgotten and children are injured.
You'd be stupid to post in *here* if you weren't open to comments. :-)
Yes, I considered hollow aluminum but couldn't find the right size. I also considered solid aluminum but when it bends it can get malformed. The existing staircase has 1/2" hardwood dowels for balusters. These are oak. They are pretty strong. You can't build to stop every scenario.
I will post a pic of the installation in which you will see that a hinged gate wouldn't work. Besides, the clients didn't want a hinged installation.
The client chose those option. It was the least intrusive. The user shouldn't be carrying laundry and a 3YO, IMO. :-)
Distractions and poor decisions occur all the time, even with one-handed systems. You can dummy-proof the world and the world will build a better dummy. :-)
Sometimes the client doesn't know what should choose for an option, too... :)
I agree that I think they will discover this is a pit(proverbial)a(ppendage) in application unless this is a very low-traffic stairwell and the barricade is essentially a permanent fixture. If it's of the 20X/day variety, I predict it will be unused shortly after installation or modified to retrofit a hinge or other catchment than trying to line up and insert four independent plungers...
It's certainly clear as to the "why" of "can't" have a hinge other than not wanting one; certainly nothing apparent in the one photo to prevent it.
But as for "nothing", there's "always" some other alternative; a backstop with spring latch on the other side would at least make it where can just set one side in place and push the other rather than a "four-handed find the hole" exercise standing on one's head at top of a stairwell...or even above it looking down if it's a the base of the stairs but you're on the up side...
But, as you say, they're the client and sometimes it can only be "live and learn"...
I didn't even post a pic of where it will be installed, so I don't know how you can tell that. :-) Just trust me, a hinged gate can't work.
We had a long brainstorming session and I had plenty of ideas like that. They wanted nothing installed left protruding from the wall when the gate wasn't there. I offered a single pull that would release all four latches at the same time, but something that easy could be operated by the child. I offered a drop down gate that would self-latch, but that means hardware attached to the wall.
The gate will be at the bottom of the stairs. It will sit on a step and against the step above it, so registering the latch bolt holes will be as simple as placing the gate against the step.
It's just to keep the child from going up the stairs. It will always be placed and removed from someone in front of the stairs, not on them.
You never know. They may want to add a different system in the future. For now, they get what they wanted and it will function great and serve the purpose, and look great. FWIW, I foresee them only using the top latches, since the bottom of the gate sits against a step. Even if the child were to pull the bottom away from the step, there is a post in front of it that will bock it from coming out more than about the depth of the step in sits on.
I'm not pushing back on the design any longer 'cuz it is what it is, but...
The word "always" in this situation seems a little out of place, as in "never say never". I can't imagine that someone will *never* want to go upstairs and close the gate behind them.
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