Baby Proof: Keeping Balcony Railings Safe for the Children

Decks and balconies are wonderful additions to any homes. They can provide an outdoor space for you to relax and enjoy the sun in. However, these structures can be hazardous, especially for babies and children. Young children don’t understand the concept of safety and danger. They’re curious and eager to explore their surroundings, which can lead them to making mistakes and placing themselves at risk. At Boston Ironworks, we recommend these steps to make the balcony railing safer for your child.

1. Reduce the Gap

If the gap between the railings is less than 4 inches, you need to come up with solutions to reduce the gap. You can add a few designs or extra bars to the railing to ensure the child can’t squeeze between them and get stuck or fall from the balcony.

2. Make Horizontal Bars Unsalable

Children can be surprisingly deft climbers, especially after they start walking and become more adventurous. If you have horizontal balcony railing, you need to make sure your babies don’t have any leverage to scale them. The best solution is to install a Plexiglas shield on the railings. Make sure the glass in on the inside rather than outside of the railing so your child doesn’t have anything to grab on to.

3. Balcony Shield and Guards

If you don’t want to spend money on Plexiglas, you can install balcony shields and guards that are available in most hardware and baby stores. These attachments are easy to install and relatively inexpensive. They can be a DIY project for a weekend, just make sure you use screws to attach the material rather that staplers. The latter can come off with just a little bit of force.

4. Cover the Balcony Railing With Wood

You can apply wood slats on the railing to fill in all the gaps and ensure your child doesn’t have any opportunity to slip past the railing and fall. Wood is durable and can add to the beauty of the railing if you choose the right design and installation technique.

You should also install child-proof locks on your deck and balcony so your child can’t access the area without supervision.

For questions and enquires on balcony railing, you can call Boston Ironworks at 617 657 3117. You can also fill in this contact us form. We’ll get in touch with you as soon as possible.