Determining When and Where to Place Baby Gates
Put up gates before your baby starts crawling. Most babies begin crawling when they are between 7 to 10 months, so experts recommend installing baby gates when your child is about 6 months old. Since babies develop skills at different rates, keep an eye out for when your child starts experimenting with crawling to determine if you need to put gates up sooner. This may seem a bit early, but it's better to be over prepared: most babies progress from small movements to fast crawling fairly quickly. Some babies skip the crawling stage and go directly to walking. If this happens with your child, you may be able to wait until they are 8-12 months old before you need to install gates.
Remove the baby gate when you child can get around it. Baby gates are generally safe and necessary for children between 6 months and 2 years old. However, every situation is unique since children develop skills at different rates. When your child is able to climb over the safety gate or has figured out how to open it, you should remove it and teach them how to safely navigate that area of your house. Otherwise, the gate can create its own falling, climbing, and tripping hazards. Larger or stronger children may outgrow their baby gates sooner. If you still need to use a baby gate for a younger sibling, try to teach your older children how to open and close the gate themselves. Any adults in the house should go through the gates properly (rather than stepping over them) to help teach by example.
Choose a hardware-mounted model for the top of a staircase. Hardware mounted gates, also called permanent gates, are screwed into the wall or doorway on either side of the gate. Although they take more effort to install, they are far more stable than pressure-mounted gates, which can be easily jarred loose with a hard push. To prevent your baby from taking a dangerous spill down the stairs, always use a hardware-mounted gate in this hazardous location. Falls from stairs are the leading cause of emergency department visits for children under the age of 2, so it's very important to place hardware-mounted gates at the top of any staircase in your home.
Use pressure-mounted gates in less hazardous locations. Pressure-mounted gates are held in place across an opening by the pressure they exert against the door frame or walls. These gates are less secure than hardware-mounted gates and are therefore best for areas where falling isn't a major concern, such as in a doorway between two areas with same-level flooring. You should also install pressure-mounted gates at the bottoms of staircases to prevent children from climbing up the stairs and then falling back down. For example, you may want to use a pressure-mounted gate to block off the pantry or kitchen, keeping your child away from hazardous foods or choking hazards. You can also use pressure-mounted gates to separate your baby from any pets in your home until they're more comfortable together. Do not place pressure-mounted gates at the top of the stairs. They can become dislodged, allowing your child to fall down the stairs. The bar at the bottom of these gates can also serve as a tripping hazard for adults.
Find a gate that meets current safety standards. If possible, buy a new gate that has been certified by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA). If you have a used gate, make sure it meets current safety standards by checking product recalls from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls. Avoid using older accordion-style gates with diamond or V-shaped openings wider than 1.5 inches (3.8 cm). These are not considered to be safe because a baby's arms or neck could become trapped in the open spaces. Use a gate meant specifically for children. Do not reuse gates intended for pets.
Installing Hardware-Mounted Gates
Measure the opening to ensure your gate will fit. Use a tape measure to figure out the length of the open you hope to block with the gate. Most gates will fit into a standard doorway, but you may need to do a bit more digging to find the right model for wider or narrower spaces. If you're installing your gate at the top of a staircase, make sure to measure at least 6 inches (15 cm) back from the edge of the top stair. This is where you'll want to place the gate.
Locate a stud or wooden door frame to support the gate. For maximum stability, you should attach the gate's mounting hardware onto the solid wood of a door frame or, if the opening doesn't have a wood door frame, through the drywall and plaster into the wood framing of the wall. Manufacturers usually supply plastic plugs to screw the baby gate into the drywall itself, but most experts agree they aren't strong enough on their own. Instead, use a stud finder to locate the wood framing (stud) behind the drywall. Do not install hardware onto round or uneven banister posts. This can cause your gate to be unstable or difficult to open and close. If there is no wall stud located where you want to place the gate, build a frame by mounting a piece of wood vertically on each side of the gate. Attach the frame to the drywall using a toggle bolt (also known as a butterfly anchor) or a wooden stairwell post.
Screw the mounts or hinges on the wall. Once you've located a sturdy place to hang the gate, use a screwdriver or drill to attach the wall mounts. The exact form of the mounts will depend on the type of gate you buy: if the gate hinges from one side rather than opening with a door in the center, you will install hinges on one side of the frame. Either way, the baby gate should come with the appropriate mounting hardware. Use screws that are long enough to extend through the hardware, drywall, and into the wall stud for maximum stability. Sometimes the screws that come with gates are not long enough, so you may need to replace them with your own supplies. The bottom wall mount or hinge should be no more than 3 inches (7.6 cm) from the floor. Installing it any higher will create a risk for your baby to become trapped it if they try to crawl underneath. Install the mounts so that the gate will swing open over the floor, not over the steps.
Assemble the body of the baby gate. Some baby gates will come fully assembled, but others may require you to put a few pieces together yourself. Since this assembly varies widely depending on the type of gate (plastic vs. fabric vs. wood, for example), be sure to follow the manufacturers' instructions closely.
Hang the assembled baby gate onto the wall mounts. For most models, you will simply slide the body of the baby gate (the part that actually blocks the opening) down into the wall mounts. Others may need to be clipped or screwed in. Read the manufacturers' instructions to ensure you are properly attaching the gate to the wall mounts or hinges.
Test the gate by pushing and pulling on it repeatedly. Your baby gate should be able to withstand frequent opening and closing, as well as hard pushes or pulls from your child. If the gate wobbles or appears unsteady as you test it, try tightening the screws attaching the wall mounts. Watch the wall mounts as you test the gate: if they seem like they're pulling out, you may need to get longer screws that can drill deeper into the studs.
Setting up Pressure-Mounted Gates
Measure the opening where you'd like to place the gate. Basic pressure-mounted gates fit spaces between 26 inches (66 cm) and 38 inches (97 cm). However, certain manufacturers make models to fit openings up to 62 inches (160 cm). Make sure to measure the space you'd like to block off and purchase the appropriately sized gate. If you have a particularly long area to gate off, look for models with optional extensions or panels that you can purchase separately.
Extend the gate to fit the space. Some pressure-mounted gates, especially those with a door in the middle, will extend to meet the walls using a small cups on each corner of the gate. To install these models, place the gate into the opening and spin the bolts to extend the wall cups to meet the door frame or wall. You'll be able to tell that the gate is correctly fitted when there is no gap between the frame and the handle of the door. Some pressure-mounted baby gates have two sliding panels that you can adjust to make the gate fit the opening (you'll remove the panels or slide them to the side to walk through). Pull the panels away from one another until they extend to fill the entire doorway or wall space. The pressure of the panels against the walls or door frame should hold the gate upright. Other gates may extend in different ways. Make sure to follow the manufacturers' instructions and call the manufacturer directly if you have any questions or concerns. The bottom of the gate should be no more than 3 inches (7.6 cm) from the floor to prevent trapping hazards.
Lock the gate into place using the pressure bar if your model has one. The pressure bar serves as a locking mechanism to hold the gate in place. To use it, simply press the pressure bar down towards the ground until it is entirely straight. When you install the gate, make sure that the pressure bar is located on the side of the gate away from the child so that your child can't use it to climb up and over the gate. Not all pressure-mounted baby gates will have an additional bar or locking mechanism to secure them into the space. Those that attach using wall cups will be secure without one thanks to the nut and bolt extensions.
Test the gate repeatedly by pushing and pulling on it. Pressure-mounted gates are not as stable as hardware-mounted gates so they can't hold up to the same amount of force. However, they should still be able to withstand some pushing. If it's easy to knock the gate over, try lifting the locking mechanism and extending the panels so they rest more snugly against the walls or door frame. Once the gate is installed, check it regularly to make sure it remains stable.
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