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Thread: Ikea baby gates

  1. #1
    JenaW is offline Platinum level (1000+ posts)
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    Default Ikea baby gates

    I saw in a previous post that some of you have these gates and are happy with them. Can they be used at the top of a stairway? I think we are going to need the Lascal Kiddyguard (based upon the config of the bannisters), but if I can find a cheaper gate that is SAFE, I would rather not spend $100. Obviously if these will not work, the $100 is worth it to protect my children, but we are on a limited budget, so every penny counts!

    TIA!

    Jera
    Mom to Carter ~ 05.13.03 & Madigan ~ 09.28.04

  2. #2
    caheinz is offline Platinum level (1000+ posts)
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    Default RE: Ikea baby gates

    We have a KidCo gate at the top of the stairs (one of the ones recommended in BB, I think!), and we put an IKEA one at the bottom. Except for the fact that DH had to rig a way to attach it to the bannister (KidCo had a kit, so he used that as a model for the idea), they are identical! I think the hardware is a different finish, and the plastic connectors, a different color. Other than that, the only difference was price!

    I can try to get a picture at home if you want to see how it got attached. We have just a "standard" iron-look bannister.
    mommy to three boys: A, 3/04
    and identical twins B and D, arrived 9/08

  3. #3
    JenaW is offline Platinum level (1000+ posts)
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    Default RE: Ikea baby gates

    If you get a chance to post a pic that would be great. I have been looking at the kidco one and I think that is the only one that will work with our stairs. If I could find a cheaper option I would be very happy.

    THanks!

    Jera
    Mom to Carter ~ 05.13.03 & Madigan ~ 09.28.04

  4. #4
    caheinz is offline Platinum level (1000+ posts)
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    Default RE: Ikea baby gates: Pics

    Just saw this... let me see if I happen to have a pic of DS on the stairs that shows how we did it at the bottom....

    Hmmm. Nothin that shows enough of it. I'll try to remember to take one tonight! I'll get one of each upstairs (KidCo) and down (IKEA).

    Edited to add the pictures, and again to add a couple more notes:

    Upstairs: the KidCo gate with their bannister kit (the two lighter pieces of wood to the right are attached with long screws):
    http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/28451.jpg


    Downstairs: the IKEA gate with DH's handiwork to attach it to the bannister.
    http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/28450.jpg

    Another view of the IKEA gate.
    http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/28452.jpg

    The 2X4ish-looking and small blocks of wood are DH's handiwork. He had to rig both sides at the bottom due to the details of stairway and bannister, not the gate.

    Hope this helps!!!
    mommy to three boys: A, 3/04
    and identical twins B and D, arrived 9/08

  5. #5
    Dee150 is offline Silver level (200+ posts)
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    Default RE: Ikea baby gates

    In case you are still on the fence, and convinced of the safety/usefulness of the IKEA gates, they have a great deal at the store. I picked up one of each kind (3) for less than what I'd have paid for a Safeway. Only issue is to try and get it to fit our stairway. I may have to buy a "kit" (don't think DH is as handy as the OP's!).The Patrull Fast metal gate that opens to 31.5" was 5.99, the wood Patrull (opens wider) was 12.99 and the Patrull Smidig (pressure mounted) was 14.99 or 15.99. We've only just opened the wooden one yet, but the instructions seem OK. HTH!

  6. #6
    Dee150 is offline Silver level (200+ posts)
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    Default RE: Ikea baby gates: Pics

    Cheryl,
    Does the Kidco gate come with the banister kit? Does it involve drilling holes into the banister or is it a "no-holes" kit? Sorry-am not very good at figuring these things out- couldn't tell from the pic.
    In the downstairs gate, I can see something like a clamp holding the 2X4 to the banister -what is that?
    We have a banister post that's square at the base above which is a round spindle that's a lot thinner than the square post. Plus on the other (drywall) side, there's baseboard in oak :-( . We are going to try and use the pressure mounted one at the bottom of the stairway.
    TIA!

  7. #7
    caheinz is offline Platinum level (1000+ posts)
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    Default RE: Ikea baby gates: Pics

    For the KidCo gate, the kit was extra. I don't remember how much more $$, but it did add to the price. There are no holes drilled into the bannister (ours is entirely metal!). The two upright pieces are held together with a bolt and a wing nut each. (My DH did add a small bit of wood at the bottom to hold the two uprights apart in parallel -- the kit assumes the top and the bottom of the bannister to be the same width, and our bottom doesn't have anything to hook on to!) (The gate is screwed into the wall on that side, but there are no screws that go into the bannister on the other side.)

    On the bottom, the board is screwed in at the bottom. Here's a pic:
    http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/28582.jpg


    At the top, the board is held in place with two small pieces of wood, one on each side of the bannister. These were necessary because of the gap between the top of the board and the bannister. It looks like DH's original intent was to put a bolt from the stair side of the board to the outside of the outermost piece, but it looks like the bolts were too short. (He's out of town, so I can't ask!) So, the bolts run through the board, and each is held in place by washers on both sides and a nut on the inside (the "head" is on the stair side). There are also washers and nuts on the stair side of the middle block. Despite appearances, they don't actually go into the block to the outside of the staircase... that one is held in place by screws!

    Here are some pics that may or may not help:
    http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/28583.jpg
    From the outside of the staircase. (Looking in the downstairs direction)

    http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/28584.jpg
    From above.

    I hope this helps!
    mommy to three boys: A, 3/04
    and identical twins B and D, arrived 9/08

  8. #8
    DebbieJ is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    Default RE: Ikea baby gates: Pics

    Here's a post with a link to pics that I posted a while back about my gate dilemma.

    http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/dcboar...ng_type=search

    HTH!

    ~ deb
    DS born at home 12/03

    http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/10029.gif

  9. #9
    caheinz is offline Platinum level (1000+ posts)
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    Default RE: Ikea baby gates: Pics

    That looks like a much simpler solution for those without somewhat handy DHs!

    My DH plays a bit with carpentry. I'd say he's still learning, the stuff he does rarely looks really professional, but it almost always works. In this case, I think he did well, and I'm sure all the wood was stuff he had lying around, so if there was any cost, it was just the bolts. (In general, though, he is quite handy... and for those without handy DH's, this was a case of skipped generations -- his dad is hopeless, but his grandpa (on mom's side) was quite handy...)

    Of course, I should reserve judgement about his carpentry skills for a bit. He's about 2.5 years late on a birthday present for me: a jewelry box. I think the box is made, or nearly so, but it isn't "done" -- I don't know the details. I could end up with a pleasant surprise!
    mommy to three boys: A, 3/04
    and identical twins B and D, arrived 9/08

  10. #10
    JenaW is offline Platinum level (1000+ posts)
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    Default RE: Ikea baby gates

    Thank you all for the help and pics. I bookmarked it to show to DH tonight.

    BTW - Where did you find the IKEA gates? What part of the store? In our store (Pittbsurgh) they were not with the baby stuff. I asked 2 customer sales people and neither were any help. One was going to go ask someone else, but DD was screaming her head off because she wanted to nurse (and stupidly, I was wearing a dress, so I needed to go somewhere private) and DS was about to have a major meltdown so we left without waiting.


    Jera
    Mom to Carter ~ 05.13.03 & Madigan ~ 09.28.04

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