How can I mount a gate at the top post of my stairs?
I am having a very difficult time finding a proper gate that will fit securely at the top of my stairs.
I may have a unique situation with the wooden banister where the base of the post has trim work that resembles the following... (ASCII art not to scale)
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| | <- about 5"
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|| <- about 24"
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| | <- about 10"
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| | <- about 2"
|______| <- about 3"
I tried to mount a top of stair gate, but the 5" or so worth of trim forces me to attach the mounting brace to the 10" section of the post, leaving a 6"+ gap under the gate. This gap concerns me because I can easily see my 1yr old son scooting or rolling under the bar and possibly getting stuck (or worse).
No gate manufacturer recommends a pressure mounted gate at the top of stairs, but even they did recommend one, I would be unable to due to the trim work on the banister.
I'm definitely worried now because my son is mobile and I can't find a way to secure the stairs. I don't have any other anchor points for a gate (i.e., hallway, doorway, etc.)
Has somebody successfully secured their stairs with this type of post and if so can you post pictures?
(3)3 Comments
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In the recent past, searching for a "puppy gate" at the time. I saw a gate in which all four posts had adjustable with bolts to help when mounting to uneven surfaces. It was a lot like this one which also has an awkward bannister setup and I believe may illustrate TorbenGB?'s suggestion as well.
Good luck
PS:
Awesome ASCII art!!!
I just randomly ran into the Stairway Gate Installation Kit (K12) by KidCo, which appears to be exactly the solution to the problem for Kidco brand gates. It also appears to do no permanent damage to the stairs.
it might not be pretty but have you considered screwing a plank onto the side of the post, with a spacer block at the top? You could easily mount a gate onto that plank. This probably works best if your post is rectangular when seen from above, less so if it's round.
I've reused your illustration to clarify:
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