Help! Anyone fancy a challenge? Needing a stairgate or similar...

[tassis]

Here's the scenario:

We're looking to block off a corridor at our toddler group at church in order to stop littlies escaping. The problem is that prams will need to get through it. I was thinking a stairgate might do it, but the corridor is about 1.5 m wide which is too wider for most and the lovely babydan configure gate thingy that looked perfect has a gate of 60cm which isn't big enough for prams to get through.

Ideally it'd have brackets so it could lift on and off the wall when not in use.

Anyone got any suggestions?

Dog Gate from Argos

here?

How about a sliding door?

Katy that looks perfect, thank you

I didn't know such things existed!

How do you think it opens?

what kind of sliding door?

It's got a little verticle woggle thing attached at the top - you push it sideways and lift the gate slightly

Opens in either direction & completely removes (very easily)

sorry if i'm being dense here, Katy, but does the whole gate swing?

love the fact that it lifts off and great price too

really think this could work...just need to get the gap measured now, I was guessing it was about 1.5m

Yep whole gate swings

Would that be no good?

no that would be perfect, thank you again Katy

trying not to get too excited in case gap is more than the 152cm that the gate extends to.

dh is at church just now so will let me know later (hopfully! he may forget!)

once again I'm so glad I asked MN as was stending hours googling!

If it's less than 10 cms you could mount a piece of wood on one (or both) side

what about the kiddyguard. it is like a roller blind on its side.

aaaah!

DH just home, gap is 180cm!

GlassSlipper, that was my first thought, but it only extends to 130cm

...any other thoughts anyone?

Would be tempted to fit piece of board or similar, and mount Katymac's suggested gate to that. Would that work?

what about the baby dan room divider?

baby dan room divider

or Wall-fix Flex 3 safety gate

or babyden playpen (can be used as a room divider too)

Going with the board idea - is there anyone at your church who's good with wood? You could fit a board into the gap that could slide into double batons either side which would need to be fixed to the wall. Lifting it in and out might be a pain but would solve the prob - you'd end up with the batons pretty much in place for good but then if using on a weekly basis not necess a bad thing and would look ok if neat enough job. Other option would be to fit a hinged gate thing - again use the skills in the congregation. If you had a hook and hoop thing attatched to the latch end you could then keep it pinned back to the wall when not in use. From your OP looks like you don't really want a permenant fixture, but might be only way to solve prob?!

Hope you're all well btw - in the final 3 week countdown here and praying hard it won't extend to 5!

sorry, just realised the babydan thing was no good - sorry!!

seona, thanks, but the gate needs to be big enough for prams to get through

twiga, you're right I really wanted to avoid a permanent fixture...you know how it is, church is used a lot, toddlers is only for 2 hours once a week and I just wanted our gate/divider to lift in and out! (will be in touch soon!)

any other ideas?

I was so excited by Katy's dog gate thing, gutted that the gap's too big...

Yes but it's complicated

Fix the gate at oneside

On opposite wall make a freestanding post that can attach to the wall that is approx 30cm deep

Attach other fixings to the post

Sorted

However - how you fix the post to the wall I am not sure

Alternative - 2 garden gates (maybe wrought iron or picket fence style) attached at either side (they slide on to small prongs on the wall so will come off) then you just need to tie them together in the middle

Tassis - KM's idea of garden gates sounds good, kinda what I was thinking in terms of a hinged gate but much better in that would lift off. I know that toddlers seems like not many hours in the week but bet the gate would be useful for sunday mornings, hol club etc too?! Oh, while i'm thinking of it dh should have final idea about jobs by friday (last official deadline), will txt and let you know - really need NI to come up or it'll be a frantic search for locum/staff grade stuff which could take us literally anywhere in Britian - not appealing at all!

or we could do 2 of those puppy gates and join them somehow in the middle?

or we could just not bother and tell parents to make sure their LOs don't run off...

thanks all!

I think if you bought 2 gates you would be able to fit 3 pieces together (iyswim) to make 1 very wide gate

run that by me again Katy?!

money's not a big issue so I was even wondering about buying 2 of the babydan configure thing and seeing if the 2 gates could go side by side...

Well each gate is 2 pieces joined - so a third piece might join too

I think the garden gate might be the easiest (but not cheapest)option

Get a carpenter to make picket gate fences fix a baton onto the wall at each side then make sure he uses hinges that allow the gates to be slid off

It would look better too

thanks