How To Build a Baby Gate

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Having a young child in the house is a stressful time for any parent. On top of the tiresome parenting duties, we are constantly worrying about whether or not our young ones are safe from dangerous objects and furniture. For example, you have probably had visions of your toddler taking a nasty tumble down that terrifying staircase in your house. 

To thoroughly do your research on whether you would like to build or purchase a baby gate you might want to take a look at these articles

Luckily for you, there are a few ways in which you can baby-proof your home. Many parents use a baby gate to block their children from entering dangerous rooms or from running in the house. While you can purchase this gate, it is also relatively easy to build one yourself. 

For your convenience, we have made a list of the steps that you should follow for how to build a baby gate. 

Assemble The Baby Gate Mounting Block 

The first thing that you will need to do when building a baby gate is to gather the correct tools and parts for a mounting block. This will be used to mount the gate to the railing of a staircase or the wall itself (depending on what your house looks like). 

The mounting block is basically just a chunk of wood, making it very easy to build. In fact, you can simply buy a good wooden block from your local hardware and paint it whatever color you want. However, you must ensure that the block is large enough to fit the dimensions of the railing/wall. 

Drill Holes In The Mounting Block 

Once you have yourself a mounting block, you can go about drilling the holes that will be used to mount it to the wall/railing. In order to make the block as secure as possible, you should drill at least two holes in the block of wood – however, three is recommended. 

Cut Wooden Slats To The Right Size 

The baby gate will be made up of 1 x 2’s. With this in mind, you will need to purchase a few slats of wood that meet the required measurements from your local hardware. You could also buy a large wooden block and cut it into the appropriately sized slats. 

Assemble The Frame And Slats 

Luckily for you, it is incredibly easy to assemble the frame of the baby gate. If you have a hot glue gun, glue together four 1 x 2’s so that they form a square. In the end, you should have two horizontal slats on the bottom and two vertical slats on top. Afterward, use a few screws in order to make sure that they remain firmly in place. 

Once you have the frame prepared, you can use the glue gun to add the rest of the slats. They should be added in the same way that the two vertical slats were when building the frame (in other words, the top and bottom of the board should be attached to the horizontal pieces of the frame). Once they have been fastened with the glue, use more screws to secure them. 

Add Filler Pieces For Mounting Hinges 

Once all of your slats are added, you will need to cut out two filler pieces – these will be used to mount the hinge hardware. Attach the fillers with hot glue and some more screws. They should be installed at the one end of the gate (in between two slats) so that the hinges can be connected to the wall/railing. You can then attach the hinges to these blocks using small screws. 

Sand And Finish The Baby Gate 

Once all of your slats are added. You can go about sanding and finishing off the baby gate. Make sure that you fill any screw or knot holes with wood filler. Once the wood is as smooth as possible, you can paint it whatever color you want. 

Mount The Mounting Block 

When attaching the mounting block to the wall/railing, you will want to use the strongest screws possible. For this reason, purchasing strong and sturdy structural screws is definitely the way to go. Simply place the block in the position that you want it to stay and drill the screws into the previously added holes. 

Mount The Gate To The Mounting Block 

Next is attaching the baby gate to the mounting block. All you have to do is place the baby gate in the correct position and use small screws to secure it to the mounting block. Try to keep the gate as level and as central as possible – you don’t want it hanging at an angle. 

Mount The Latch Block And Latch 

A latch and latch block will have to be used in order to keep the gate locked. There are various types that can be used – in fact, you could simply use a hook and wire if you really wanted. However, most parents tend to go for something slightly stronger, such as a slider or bolt door latch. 

First, mark an appropriate position on the wall for this latch to be placed. You can then use a few small screws to secure it. Next, use the same screws to attach the lock to the baby gate (this is the piece of metal that slides into the latch in order to hold the gate closed). 

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Conclusion 

A baby gate can be used to prevent your child from entering certain areas of the house or running down the stairs. While they can be purchased, they are also relatively easy to make at home. 

You will first need to buy a mounting block and drill holes into it. Next, cut wooden blocks into slats that can be used for the gate and assemble them using a hot glue gun and screws. Add filler pieces to the frame so that hinges can be installed. You can then sand and paint the gate to match the rest of your home. Finally, screw the mounting block and gate into the appropriate position. To finish it all off, install a latch and lock to the wall and gate, respectively.