Things to Consider When Creating a Staircase Design with Your Kids in Mind

04 November 2019

Having kids at home can be fun. They can change the overall mood and dynamics of the house in just a few days. These little children can turn an organized house into a complete battlefield. From throwing out things to shoving the food away, these small humans can definitely get into your nerves in no time. Despite all these, you must see to it that each corner of your house is completely safe for the kids.

One of the most common areas that you must check is the stairs. In hindsight, our staircase is not that harmful since it is only being used to go from one floor to another. For kids, they perceive the staircase as one of their playing grounds. They would climb up and down the stairs or treat the railings as a monkey bar. Such activities are harmful to kids. They could fall, and worse, be hospitalized with one tiny misstep.

To avoid any accidents, you must modify your existing staircase for the safety of your kids. Here are a few things you must change when creating your new staircase design.

Baby Gates

If you want to prevent your kids from accessing the stairs without anyone watching, then installing baby gates is essential for your staircase. Baby gates must be installed at both ends of the staircase and must be elevated no less than 3 inches from the ground. Moreover, check the gate’s locking mechanisms and solidity to avoid unwanted accidents.

Steps

To those who have an extra budget, you may want to consider reconstructing your staircase with the help of professionals. A single step is composed of three main parts that must have the following specifications for a baby-proof staircase.

• Tread: This is the part where we step on. The tread for the steps must be non-slippery to prevent anyone from tripping. Treads may be made up of wood, acid-etched glass, anti-slip glass, marble, granite, and stone.
• Riser: This is the vertical part between each tread on a staircase. For the safety of the kids, open risers must not allow a sphere of 100 mm to pass through. This measurement is optimal so that a kid’s head won’t get stuck whenever he or she tries to get into the gap.
• Nosing: This is the protruding part of a step where riser and tread meets. This part may be installed with stainless steel adhesive strips to add non-slippery agent to the steps.

The depth of the tread on a staircase is measured by “going.” The best going of a staircase should be around 220 mm. Goings way below or above the recommended distance may result in difficulties for both you and your kids.

 

Balustrades

Before kid-proofing your staircase, there must be a time where your kids could just climb and slide down to your balustrades. Balustrades are comprised of railings and balusters that guide people when climbing up and down the stairs. They prevent people from falling and losing balance.

Huge gaps between balusters can be dangerous to your kids. To resolve this, you may put a solid cover like a clear plastic shield and Plexiglas panels across the balusters. You may also add more balusters in between to tighten the gaps. As for the railings, their height must be around 1,000 mm stop the kids from playing around.

Aside from modifying parts of the staircase, you must maintain cleanliness around the staircase area. Your kids may slip on toys and objects, so it’s important that you store them properly. Also, you must maintain good lighting around the staircase area to see the kids whatever the time is.

If you decide to go with a new staircase area for your kids’ safety, Planet Stairs got you covered. We offer all kinds of staircase construction using different solid materials.

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