To think that I should be able to get a stairgate

[CouthyMow]

That fits on my fucking front room door!!

I have one from my older DC's that fits, but it is essential that I have one on DS3's bedroom door, because of the stairs.

So far, I have bought the same Lindam safe fit gate, but in the intervening few years since I bought my old one, they have changed them - they used to go from 75-85cm doorways, now they only go from 75-81cm. My doorways are 84cm.

So I took that one back to Tesco, and exchanged it for a Lindam extending metal stairgate, which is meant to fit doorways up to 107cm. Oh, yes, it fits, but it is impossible to open due to the design of my chuffing doorframes. I can just about manage it, but 8yo DS2 has muscle problems, and while he can do a normal pressure fit stairgate that no longer fit my bloody doors as Lindam have changed the size, he can't do this one, and is getting stressed and having a meltdown (he has ASD) about not being able to get in and out of the front room.

SO, I ordered a BabyDan travel stairgate that is meant to fit openings up to 91cm. And it doesn't work as my door is fitted on the wrong side of the door frame (to the point where it doesn't open properly, but it's Social Housing, HA won't change it, have told me to put up with it, and it doesn't matter if the door opens and closes properly (it doesn't close either, but I'm not allowed to plane any wood off it, the HA have said...).

So this one doesn't fucking work either. That's 3 stairgates, and not one of them is fucking suitable.

Why the FUCKITYFUCKITYFUCK do they have to change something that worked perfectly well? A 5yr old Lindam Safefit stairgate fits my arse about face back to front doors, so why the CHUFFING CHUFF doesn't the 'new' not so fucking 'improved' version?!!!

I am just about ready to duck tape 16mo DS3's feet to the front room floor and give up on stairgates entirely.

Does anyone know of a sub £30 pressure fit stairgate that will fit an 84cm door frame? (not the BabyDan travel one, as have tried that one)

I am ready to sit and wobble in a corner. I don't have more of a budget than that, I have already lost £20 on the metal extending one, as Tesco's won't exchange or refund as it's been fitted, and Argos have said that even if I return the BabyDan one tomorrow, it could be 10 working days before I get a refund into my bank.

Aaaaaaaarrrrrrrgggghhhhhhh!!!! N

I had this problem and my Dad ended up screwing a baton of wood to either side of the door frame!

We had to baton wood as well

I tried three before getting one to fit. Not helped by the fact that our dodgy extra narrow doorway is not the same width at the bottom as it is a metre up!
So sorry, no advice but I feel your pain.

Have you tried contacting Lindam and asking about extensions?

Can't do that with the wood, as DS2 can't step over it due to his muscle problems, I need one that opens.

So, are you allowed to screw the gates into the frames?

The extensions are another £30 on their own, I'm on benefits and don't have £60 to spare. And Lindam don't think the extensions will work due to the door frames, I phoned them before ordering the BabyDan one from Argos!

I'm not sure I understand what you mean?

I meant my Dad fixed a baton on either side of the door frame to narrow it...so the baby gate would fit IYSWIM?

Not really meant to screw things into the doorframes, but did anyway, figured a bill in xxxx amount of years when I eventually move out (probably 8 years+ down the line) was less important than keeping DS3 safe!

Ah, I thought you meant wedge a bit of wood in the doorway, I had already considered that!

You wouldn't be able to fit a batten in there, due again to the crappy design of the doorframes.

Oh I see, are they very thin?

would this be any good?

Very narrow, the fixings for the gate were wider than the bit of the doorframe you are meant to screw them on, you could only just get the screw holes on the frame, with bits if the plastic fixings overhanging.

SecretNuttella, that's the Lindam metal extending stairgate that is currently sitting in my downstairs bathroom. That's the one DS2 couldn't open, not enough clearance on the doorframes due to the frames being so narrow.

Does anyone on here have a Lindam Safefit stairgate that is OLDER than 5 years old, that wants to swap it for a brand new Lindam metal extending stairgate??!!

New and improved my arse!

No advice but all that hassle sounds a fucking nightmare. I am suddenly finding myself very thankful for my doorframes.

The things we take for granted.

The two stairgates sitting in my downstairs bathroom almost picked a window to sail through...

Oh, and unless you have thumbs if fucking steel, I do NOT recommend the BabyDan fabric travel gate, I have bruises on my THUMBS from trying to press the button to extend it, it's like the metal adjuster on the front of scooters, but it is a) hidden behind unmovable fabric, and b) so stiff you would need to have thumbs of steel to press it effectively. NOT designed well at all.

The patio door ones rely on flat walls to screw into, so not suitable, and the dog gates are made by Lindam too, and still only fit doorways up to 81cm now, they are just higher than normal stairgates.

I thought of both of those, did some research, and discounted both options.

The only problem with eBay is that I would have to pay for the gate, get it home, only to possibly find out that it is one of the 'newer, improved' ones, that aren't wide enough for my doorway. Which would mean MORE money thrown away!

Could you put the 5yo one in the living roim and the new one on dc3s door?

Tried that, but have the same issues with his bedroom too, and as it is right at the top of the stairs, I had to make a decision on where it was more dangerous to NOT have a stairgate right now while I try to get another IYSWIM. Bedroom at top if stairs won!

In fact, the one that fits was originally on the front room, but had to move it last week when he stopped co sleeping and went into a bed in his own room...

I am looking at just about every stairgate on the market, and I have so far found ONE that might fit. It costs £62.99. It will take me 6 weeks to save enough to afford that, £30 from this month's child benefit and the rest from next month's. Problem is, I can't go 6 weeks without a stairgate, due to older DC's stuff, and access to the kitchen.

Oh FFS. I give up. I'm just going to have to staple his feet to the floor, that will solve the whole problem.