Gates

Q.  How do I know if a particular gate will work on my stairway?
A.  The overall width of the opening will be the first determining factor.  All gates have a limitation as to width.  Pressure gates can only use a certain number of extensions, which will limit their overall opening capability.  Permanently mounted gates usually have larger opening capabilities.
      The design of the gate will determine whether it will fit your application.  Generally, you are looking for a gate that does not have a threshold.  (i.e. a bar or frame lying along the base or floor) as this presents a tripping hazard.  The gate should be a full swinging gate with no floor obstructions to trip over if the application is for the top of the stairs.  We use a Kidco Safeway Gate (metal gate) or an Evenflo Wood gate for top of the stair applications.  Pressure gates will have a bar or frame as part of its structure and therefore placement at the bottom of the stairs is critical so as to prevent a tripping hazard.  The pressure gate should be placed against the step to eliminate the tripping hazard or far enough away from the last step to provide ample foot area between the  stair step and the gate threshold. 
      Pressure gates require a wall stud to provide the strength needed for the pressure application.  Sheetrock or wall board in between 16” wall studs will not be strong enough to exert enough resistance for the pressure needed and thus will crack.
      And finally, stairway design and wall moldings will dictate the type of mounting necessary to properly mount a gate.  This is where the experience of a professional baby proofer to mount a gate properly is critical.
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Q.  I want to enclose my open living area to keep my children in this area and away from the adjoining kitchen area, but the openings are 12 feet and 14 feet, 5 inches.  What can I use?
A.  We use a Kidco ConfigureGate that allows an unlimited amount of extensions to cover a large opening. This gate is attached to the walls and can be configured in an unlimited number of ways to secure almost any opening.  We have used this gate for home, day care and store applications.  This metal gate comes in white and has a 30 inch gate opening within its railing..  If you want it in black, we then use the Kidco HearthGate which is Kidco’s ConfigureGate but in black.
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Q.  I have twins, do they make a hands-free gate that is secure yet easy to work?
A.  Yes they do!  We use the First Years foot operated gate.  We have used this gate in many day care applications and have found it to be an excellent gate.  Width is the only restriction as to its application.  With extensions, it will only fit an opening of up to 44 inches.
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Q.  Who makes the best gate?
A.  Our experience has shown that several manufacturers have certain gates in their product line that have proven themselves over time.  Unfortunately, we do not use all the gates that they offer in their safety gate line.  We will recommend the Safeway gate and its No.#1 rated latching mechanism, the Center Gate (a pressure gate), the Summers extra tall gate (a pressure gate), the Elongate, and the Configure and HearthGate from the Kidco product line.  If you want a wood gate, we only recommend the EvenFlo 1050 Gate from their safety gate line.  For a hands-free gate, we recommend the First Years gate.
      Unfortunately, there are a lot of gates out there to purchase, but they do not all work as one would like them to work.  Our criteria is that the gate must latch solidly, resist accidental unlatching and be of quality construction to provide the service and safety that allows us, as professional baby-proofers, to confidently install and warrant a child safety gate.
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BABY PROOFING

Q.  What is baby proofing?
A.  Baby proofing is a relatively new industry, approximately 20 + years old.  Safer-Baby, Inc of Studio City, California is the oldest baby proofing company in the nation.  It’s founder can be credited with the birth of this industry.  The present owners, Mike and Anne Marie Radel, along with other baby proofing companies all over the nation are responsible for the evolution in the professionalism, quality and high standards that this industry has achieved through the International Association for Child Safety (www.iafcs.com) that monitors and supports the standard for the industry.
      Baby proofing is the installation and adaptation of products available in the market place to prevent serious injury and/or death to an infant or toddler from potential hazards normally found in and around the home. 
Some examples of baby proofing are the latching of drawers and cabinet doors, the installation of safety gates at stairways and doors, the installation of upper door locks to prevent outside exiting of the house, electrical outlet covers, wire concealment, restricting outlet plug access, securing furniture, mirrors, shelving, tv’s to wall to prevent tip-overs, securing toilet lids and showers/baths, installing pool enclosures, installing upper story railing and decking protection, protecting coffee table, hearths, furniture sharp corners, restricting window pane access and openings, replacing door stops, and so on.
      With professional baby proofing, you have experienced technicians that can correctly and quickly install child safety products with quality products that work, eliminating unnecessary learning curves and questions whether the right product was used or installed correctly.  Generally, your time as parents and providers is so limited and valuable that it is far more reasonable to hire a professional baby-proofer, to safely protect your home for your children at a fraction of the time it would take you to do it and know that it was done right the first time with the best products for  the job.
      Baby proofing will not keep your child entirely from getting scratches or bruises.  That is a normal part of growing up as a child.  Baby proofing is for the prevention of ­serious injury and /or death to a child due to a hazardous situation encountered in and around the home where an unsuspecting infant or toddler has entered without parental supervision.  As much as we try, there will be moments when we lose sight or contact of our child for a moment, baby proofing can provide a margin of safety until your child is safely back under your supervision.  Baby proofing tries to minimize the costly and emotional trips you will make to the emergency room or doctor due to a serious injury from an accident.
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Q.  How do I find a professional baby proofer?
A.  The International Association for Child Safety (www.iafcs.com) is the national professional baby proofers association.  You can find this association on the web.  It will list baby proofers available in your area.  You can also look in the yellow pages under Child safety, Baby Proofing, and Baby Safety. Contacting your local baby stores may provide you with reputable references also.
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Q.  How do I find out what I need to baby proof my house?
A.  Most baby proofers offer in home consultations.  This involves a visit to your home to look over potential hazards in your home.  Since you know your child’s tendencies better than anyone, you have an idea what your child’s curiosities and tendencies are.  A baby proofer will be able to inform you of some of the more common hazards in and around the home and those products and actions that can alleviate those hazards.  Combined with the knowledge of your child and the baby proofers expertise, you will receive an estimate as to the cost of those safety products discussed and the labor to install them.  We leave it up to the parents to decide as to what extent and when they want to baby proof their house.
      Most baby proofing companies offer Baby Safety Seminars to mom’s clubs, Mommy Me associations, and post natal curriculums.  These seminars cover the gamut of home hazards and various solutions specific to these hazards.  Many of the solutions require no product purchases but a common sense approach to certain conditions.
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DRAWERS AND CABINETS:

Q.  What kind of latches do I use for my cabinets?
A.  That will depend on two things!  The design of the cabinets drawers and doors.  The purpose for the latch.  Let’s talk about the first item.  Cabinets are usually of three types.  Locally the majority of cabinets are of the European type, meaning that the rollers or slides are attached to the side of the drawer providing a space for a latch to be installed in between the drawer and the edge of the cabinet. Older drawers have their slides underneath the drawer and will require a different latch. Double latches can be used on both types of drawers to prevent children pinching their fingers by restricting the closing of the drawer as well as the opening. Cabinet doors use the same latch as used on the older cabinet drawers.
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Q.  The latches I purchased locally did not last long.  How do I know if I installed them right?
A.  You probably did install them correctly.  Chances are the latches were not of a good enough quality to do the job.  Not all latches are created equal!!  A lot of latches are manufactured for maximum profit, not maximum quality.  Unfortunately, price is sometimes not even a good gage of quality.  The following is a rule of thumb we use:  European drawers (side bearing rollers/slides) use Safer-Baby latches.  Older drawers (bottom slides) and cabinet doors usually use either a  Kindergard regular latch or Kidco large latches.  You probably cannot find these latches locally.  We carry these quality latches and they are available for sale in the Northwest Arkansas area from Baby’s Guardian.  Call us at 479-381-2097.
      Some installation mistakes involve not pre-drilling a hole prior to attaching the latch or base with the screws, which could split the wood.  Attaching the latch at a point where two pieces of the fascia are spliced, attaching the latch too close to the edge of the wood, causing splitting, not using all the screws to attach the latch and placement of the latch too far away from the base to make solid contact.
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KITCHEN AREA.

Q.  I have a lazy susan and I don’t know what latch to buy for it?
A.  The lazy susan presents a problem in that the door swings both in and out.  A self-adhesive latch that has a clip and a strap is your best application to secure the door. We carry these quality products and they are available in the Northwest Arkansas area from Baby's Guardian at (479) 381-2097.
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Q.  How do I keep my child from opening up the refrigerator door?
A.  There is a two refrigerator locks that we use.  One is a Safer-Baby slide lock latch or a Fridge lock.   See our product application for these two items in our product line. We carry these quality products and they are available in the Northwest Arkansas area from Baby's Guardian at (479) 381-2097.
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Q.  What can I use to secure my oven door so my child won’t open it, especially when I am cooking?
A.  It really depends on the relation of the oven door to the oven frame or housing.  If it is flush, we will use a Safer-Baby slide lock latch.  We also use an adhesive latch with a clip and strap or a conventional oven flip lock if there is no border frame around the door.  When no product available can be used, we use an adhesive hook and chain with clip. We carry these quality products and
they are available in the Northwest Arkansas area from Baby's Guardian
at (479) 381-2097.
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Q.  My daughter keeps playing with the control buttons on the dishwasher. What can I do to stop her from doing that?
A.  Digital control panels can be covered with a sheet of Plexiglas and Velcro strips to prevent her from playing with the control buttons but still allow you to use them when needed  by simply peeling off the Plexiglas.  As always, we recommend that whenever possible, you  use your body as a shield between you and your child to prevent them from seeing how you  remove the
protective Plexiglas. We carry these quality products and they are available in the Northwest Arkansas area from Baby's Guardian at (479) 381-2097.
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DOORS 

Q.  My baby plays with the doors in the house and pinches her fingers when she closes them.  I am also afraid she will catch her fingers inside the hinge side of the door.
A.  First, the # 1 choking hazard for infants is the rubber cap on the door stop!!!  Replace the door stop with a one piece plastic door stops, or if you can remove the cap though this will possibly lead to a mark on the door by the metal part of  the original door stop.
      Now for pinching fingers, there are two products we use called “Finger guards” to keep your baby from getting her fingers caught in the door.  We also use a door positioner to lock the door in the open position so that it can’t be shut by the baby playing with it.  We carry these quality products and they
are available in the Northwest Arkansas area from Baby's Guardian
at (479) 381-2097.
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Q.  My child can reach the door handles and is constantly opening doors to rooms I do not want her going into.  What can I do?
A.  Forget the round door knob covers, their effectiveness last about three months at best and then your child has watched you enough to figure them out.
      If your door knob is to an inside room or closet, first look to see if it is lockable.  We offer emergency door lock pins that you can hang up high on the door frame.  Simply lock the door and use the pin when you need to get in. Remember to place the pin holder at least 64” high above the floor.
      If the door knob is not lockable, you can place a pressure gate in the doorway if it’s a room you do not want your child to go into.  You can place a surface bolt lock or a hook and eyelet lock on the door.  Remember, any door locks should be at least 64” high. We carry these quality products and they
are available in the Northwest Arkansas area from Baby's Guardian
at (479) 381-2097.
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Q.  How should I deal with my doors leading to the outside of the house?  My kids are tall enough to open the dead bolts and I don’t want them getting outside!
A.  We recommend placing a lock on any outside door and garage door at least 64” high on the door.  If the door opens towards you, a sliding surface bolt at the top of the door will work, a flap lock that fits between the door and the frame is my favorite because it is a terrific burglar deterrent device, it’s simple to install and inexpensive.  I will use a hook and eyelet for doors that open away from you or a slide bolt.  I usually do not like to use door chains or hotel swing bars as they are not good burglar deterrent devices and most doors
are of the hollow type.
      Most double doors will end up using the upper surface slide bolt. We carry these quality products and they are available in the Northwest Arkansas area from Baby's Guardian at (479) 381-2097.
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BATHROOM 

Q.  What should I do in our bathroom to protect out baby?
A.  First, a toilet lid lock is absolutely necessary.  It will prevent a drowning.  We carry this quality product and is available in the Northwest Arkansas area from Baby's Guardian at (479) 381-2097.

      Second, prevent access to the shower area.  Most shampoos and conditioners are poisonous to children if swallowed.

      Third, secure any bathroom drawers and cabinet doors that have medicines, hygiene products or cleaning products with latches.

      Fourth, if you bathe your baby in the tub, install a tub spout cover over the tub spout.  This is the #3 top stitch maker for toddlers.  BABIES ARE ALWAYS FASCINATED BY RUNNING WATER.

      Fifth, turn down your water heater to 120 degrees.  Most modern heaters have a setting mark for this temperature.  At a temperature of 150 degrees, it takes less than 5 seconds to scald your child.  I don’t know why, but they always seem to go for the hot water handle!
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