Need Advice Please...

lewis

I`m trying to work out to where I can put a baby gate at the bottom of the stairs, but the thing is the small part of the wall I want to put the gate on is not solid, so I`d imagine that with all the closing and what not would just make **** of the wall.

Is there a way around this without going to mad, the gate I have in mind has to be screwed into the wall, I can`t imagine a studded wall been able to take to much everyday use.
As you can see the gate I have there just does`nt work and it`s more dangerous than anything

Any advice would be great.

Here`s some pictures...

sullzz

Whats wrong with the one thats there , mine is like that and never had a problem , any that i see are always like that

lewis

There`s no room to step on that step, you have to turn your foot side ways or just step over it and when I`m carrying a 1 year old and a 1 month old it`s to risky.

mikehunts

This is the kind of fitting we have which requires no screws. It works perfect. They came with the gate.

lewis

mikehunts wrote: »

This is the kind of fitting we have which requires no screws. It works perfect. They came with the gate.

That`s what I have, but if you look at the banister, it won`t work, it would be way to high, I only have flat surfaces near the top and bottom of it, it`s awkward as hell.

mfceiling

If it's pressure fitted - that is the 2 sides crew out and "wedge" themselves in position then you should be fine.

Mine was against a stud wall and came away with almost no marks at all.

Even a strip of mdf painted white and screwed to the plasterboard wall with toggle fixings should give you a solid ground to fix against.

lewis

Unfortunately it's not a pressure one, I'd need to drill for the gate I have.
It's not like the one you see in the picture, both sides of the gate have to be screwed in place, there's no bottom part that you have to step over, you just open and walk through.
Cause it's one the bottom step this was the only one that we found that would work.

mfceiling

What about a piece of mdf painted and attached to the post on the stairs?
This would give you a flat surface to screw in to.

lewis

That`s what I was thinking and it would probably work, but it`s the wall the opposite side that I`m not sure of, it`s that small that there`s only wood work or what not on the corners.

sligono1

its ok fitting these toggle fittings but over time due to movement with the gate opening and closing they may come lose in the slab, i would prefer a more solid fixing,ie into a stud but the likelyhood is there is a stud at either corner and that will not line up with your newel post.

yes planting a piece of either mdf or somthing similar is the only way you will be able to get fixing to the newel post.

lewis

sligono1 wrote: »

its ok fitting these toggle fittings but over time due to movement with the gate opening and closing they may come lose in the slab, i would prefer a more solid fixing,ie into a stud but the likelyhood is there is a stud at either corner and that will not line up with your newel post.

yes planting a piece of either mdf or somthing similar is the only way you will be able to get fixing to the newel post.

Exactly what I was thinking, so it`s looking like my only solution is to get a flat piece of MDF preferably the width of the wall and screw it to the timbers on the edges of it?

massy086

could you not cut out a section of the bar at the bottom of the gate were it sits at the carpet if you get me. then you could walk safely

lewis

massy086 wrote: »

could you not cut out a section of the bar at the bottom of the gate were it sits at the carpet if you get me. then you could walk safely

Nope, it's all pressurized, I had to take it down, herself nearly fell going through it.
I found another gate that will work, it's one that has 3 sections and works best for awkward areas.

Thanks for all the advice folks!

Carlow52

The solution I came up with for the grandkids was a 8' vertical version of the bars that are used to jamb on doorways for chin ups.

The top pad was supported by a ceiling joist and I then hinged the homemade gate from it against the newel post.

The gate lifted off in a flash and we just left the pole.

I used 2" alu scaffold grade tube and 12mm threaded bar with nice soft pressure pads for the ceiling

newmug

If there's a stud, there's timber behind it somewhere! Why cant you just screw into that?

lewis

newmug wrote: »

If there's a stud, there's timber behind it somewhere! Why cant you just screw into that?

There's no studs in the middle, if just have what's on the corners, but that probably wouldn't be a good idea.
I hate the walls in my house.

newmug

lewis wrote: »

There's no studs in the middle, if just have what's on the corners, but that probably wouldn't be a good idea.
I hate the walls in my house.

I dont get you. There must be beads on the corners, but thats not what the slab is nailed to. It must be nailed to something, otherwise it would fall down! Are you saying the timber frame for the slabs is just a rectangle, which happens to right into the corners? If so, what size is the timber? If its 3x2 or bigger, screw away!

lewis

newmug wrote: »

I dont get you. There must be beads on the corners, but thats not what the slab is nailed to. It must be nailed to something, otherwise it would fall down! Are you saying the timber frame for the slabs is just a rectangle, which happens to right into the corners? If so, what size is the timber? If its 3x2 or bigger, screw away!

That's what I was saying, what ever is on the corners, beads/timber that's all I have to fix to.
There's nothing in the middle just plaster.
Doesn't matter anyway I'm getting a different gate.

PeteHeat

Way back when ours were small I had a timber gate made and hinged it off the newell post and a simple bolt into the plaster board secured it closed, it worked well and was easy to remove when they got older just a few small screw holes to fill.

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