Category Archives: Ask a Handyman?

DIY Free Advice

In addition to our web blog here, the UK Guild of Handymen is now fully committed to Tweeting on Twitter which technically is a micro blog.
What this means is you can ask us a question on Twitter and get a very fast reply from among our member handymen (albeit in 140 characters).
Follow us here and then ask us whatever you want:

…and we’ll also follow you back.

Baby stair gate dangers

After recently fitting a stairgate like this for a client at the top of a flight of stairs:

lindam-stair-gate-accessories

my client (whose business is safety) commented that he wanted the gate refitted with the bottom bar level with top floor against the front edge of the first step so as to avoid a trip hazard. The following is the email thread for general interest (names and dates omitted)

_______________________________

I’d like it so the floor cross bar is below and flush with the landing so there is no trip hazard at the top of the stairs.

_______________________________

Okay but I’m not sure the stairgate would move to the position you propose.

Almost everyone has them like that (and I see lots whether I’ve fitted them or not).

Two things to consider:

1) would there be anything to brace the lower stud against if it is forward of the top newel post

2) does the bottom bar of the stairgate (when placed flush with the floor but forward of stair nosing) simply place a new trip hazard there for when you are coming up the stairs (although slightly less so than going down). In other words, the hazard is still there …just relocated?

_______________________________

1) yes but more filling wood might be needed

2) yes, but the likely consequence of falling up the stairs is far less severe than the likely consequence of falling down the stairs (multiplied by baby)

Safety is my industry, I have a standard answer for the ‘that’s how we’ve always done it’ argument :0D

Much appreciated.

_______________________________

I think in reality the answer to the ‘that’s how we’ve always done it’ argument is twofold being firstly that this stair gate in not really designed to be safely installed at the top of stairs (given the horizontal bar at the bottom) and secondly there is no better/safer way to put it in this location than how people usually do it (including me).

My reasoning is that placed flush with the floor in front of the top stair, apart from the bracing issues mentioned already, it would have to have the gate opening forwards and across the stairs. As such, either partially opened or tending to self close afterwards, the gate could catch on clothing thus more easily causing the fall downstairs you are eager to avoid.

In this position, opening onto the landing is no longer viable because the design has a blue trailing lug at the bottom of the gate to ensure positive location when closing and also to give extra safety against trying the force open the gate. This trailing lug has to come up against the bar at the bottom of the frame so obviously this bar can’t be flush with floor and the bar must have to be above floor level. Given this design short-coming in my opinion I would say a small vertical projection of around 10mm creates an unexpected ‘sneaky’ trip hazard that is greater than a more prominent one that you would obviously have to step over. From personal experience, I more often stub my toe on small door thresholds than ever I do on larger steps etc that I have to step over or up.

In addition, and incidentally, trying to locate the gate with the front bar flush might also cause the gate part to drag across the carpet and being difficult to open while holding a baby creates yet more potential for grief.

I would say better options are:

1) Move the stair gate to the landing the other side of the bannister or place it across the bedroom door opening.

2) Swap it with the one at the bottom of your stairs (or buy another one of these) because this type is a better design for going at the top of the stairs having no cross bar trip hazard. The one you have at the top currently if placed lower down the stairs would then have to open forwards but any danger created is minimised by size on the potential fall (ie only a fews steps and not the whole staircase to fall down).

I hope this helps.

reliable handyman

I’m looking for a reliable handyman having been let down by no less than three people. Can the guild of handymen help at all?
Rgs Dennis

Handyman directory

Can anybody list their handyman business in your Handyman Directory?

Find a Handyman

I entered my postcode into your sites find a handyman thing (I live in Manchester by the way) and there were about twenty people listed but only the first five or six were members of the guild of handymen. What’s the idea surely you should only list your members?

Professional handyman

How can any handyman be termed a professional when he doesn’t need to have any qualifications?

Handyman Qualifications

Hello
I’m thinking of becoming a handyman what qualifications do I need?
Rgs Graham

Is there a wrong sort of drain?

Somebody has told me that our washing machine has the water going into the wrong sort of drain. Can this be correct? The pipe from it goes out through the utility room wall and into a normal looking drain. What’s wrong with that?

Worried about loft boarding

I’m about to board out my loft and I’m worried about compressing the ample insulation that is already there. Will it loose its insulating properties by being compressed?

Gutters keep leaking

Hello,

My plastic guttering is forever leaking does it need replacing do you think?

Chris