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Original poster

Advice on stair gates please?

4 replies

Lavender14 · 08/12/2025 21:07

So I'm about to move into a rental with a just turned 3 year old. I'm planning to get a pressure fit stair gate for the bottom of the stairs but I'm wondering if I can do the same at the top? In our previous home (owned) we had stairgates secured into the walls and bannister. But with this being a rental I'm wary of securing the stairgate at the top into the wooden banister column and into the wall. The other issue is that the house is timber frame so all the walls are essentially stud walls and easily dented/damaged.

What would others recommend? Obviously I want it to be as secure and safe as possible for dc, especially at the top of the stairs, but I also don't want to cause damage and lose my deposit... do you think a pressure fit stairgate would be appropriate and safe enough for the top as well as the bottom?

OP posts:
TMMC1 · 08/12/2025 21:17

Happy to recommend this: we used it in an older rental property with odd non square walls.

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B07GDNKYXH?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

squishousdelicious · 08/12/2025 22:25

Whilst pressure fit gates aren't supposed to be used at the top of stairs, we used one for 2.5 years (we didn't realise it wasn't recommended at the time!) and never had any issues - and our toddler is a hulk! As long as it's really, really well secured and you're wary of the bar at the bottom being a trip hazard, then I can't see why not.

Having said that, we've recently moved house and have put a screw-attached one in. Except that one of the fittings was misplaced for a few weeks, so part of it is secured to the bannisters using cable ties 😬 It's working surprisingly well, honestly!

Original poster
Lavender14 · 09/12/2025 08:34

squishousdelicious · 08/12/2025 22:25

Whilst pressure fit gates aren't supposed to be used at the top of stairs, we used one for 2.5 years (we didn't realise it wasn't recommended at the time!) and never had any issues - and our toddler is a hulk! As long as it's really, really well secured and you're wary of the bar at the bottom being a trip hazard, then I can't see why not.

Having said that, we've recently moved house and have put a screw-attached one in. Except that one of the fittings was misplaced for a few weeks, so part of it is secured to the bannisters using cable ties 😬 It's working surprisingly well, honestly!

Ds is big for his age but he's also quite a chill child, I do feel like if I explained to him that he's never to touch the stairgate or climb on it then for the most part he would listen to that. My worry is actually more if he tripped and fell into it would the whole thing come down. We used to have a pressure fitted one for our old dog to separate him into the kitchen when he was wet but he could just push through and bring it down if he tried hard enough.

OP posts:
squishousdelicious · 09/12/2025 11:52

Lavender14 · 09/12/2025 08:34

Ds is big for his age but he's also quite a chill child, I do feel like if I explained to him that he's never to touch the stairgate or climb on it then for the most part he would listen to that. My worry is actually more if he tripped and fell into it would the whole thing come down. We used to have a pressure fitted one for our old dog to separate him into the kitchen when he was wet but he could just push through and bring it down if he tried hard enough.

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Our son is big and the furthest from chilled! Put up really firmly, I think you'd be okay - just be sure it is very well secured.

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