
- #Babyproof fireplace screen how to#
- #Babyproof fireplace screen install#
There are a few options available to babyproof fireplace hearth corners: You can easily eliminate fall hazards by padding sharp hearth corners. If you don’t have a gate around your fireplace, you should evaluate sharp edges that could be potential fall dangers. Then you don’t have to worry about your baby and the fireplace when you turn your head for a few seconds.Ī guard is a good way of keeping babies away from electric fireplaces as well. The fencing keeps the baby out of the entire fireplace area, and the gate lets you in as needed.
Fireplace child guards come in various sizes to cordon off as much or as little space as needed.
#Babyproof fireplace screen how to#
So, when you’re fireplace is in use, it’s a good idea to think about how to block the fireplace from a baby.Ī fireplace baby gate is your best answer.
Sliding locks – not heat resistant, best for loop handles and knobsīabies can still get contact burns from glass-fronted fireplaces. Fireplace locks – for use on doors with horizontal handles. Oven door lock – heat resistant, works with any style of doors. Unless the lock is heat resistant, it should be removable when the fireplace is in use. You will need to examine your fireplace doors and usage habits to decide which lock type will work best. When thinking about how to babyproof a fireplace, don’t forget to put a child lock on your fireplace door. Plus, if it’s close enough to the fire, it can be hot enough to cause burns. If you’ve used a stand-up fireplace screen in the past, you might consider replacing it with a fireplace door since a baby can hurt themselves by pulling down a fireplace screen. The best fireplace door will have both a mesh screen and a closeable glass door to provide two layers of protection from your baby playing with the innards of your fireplace or reaching into the fire in curiosity. Whether you use your fireplace regularly or not, you’ll want to have a fireplace door to protect the baby from fireplace hazards. In this way keeping babies away from the fire is much easier than keeping cats out of the fireplace! Fireplace Doors You can’t teach babies not to crawl towards the fireplace, but as they get older, education about the dangers of fireplaces, wood stoves, and other heating appliances is key. This prevents the children from being able to get near the fire, keeps them from falling and hitting themselves on our woodstove’s sharp edges, and instills in them the fact it’s a no go zone. We have a wood-burning stove in our home, and this has a strong fire guard around it all year long. Your fireplace should have a closeable door at a bare minimum – something which gas and electric fireplaces come with.įor greater fireplace safety when babies are around, you could gate, guard, or fence off your entire fireplace area. The first thing to do to make a fireplace childproof is to minimize access. Gas fireplaces – mostly wall inserts, perhaps in old fireplace spaces. Electric fireplaces – might be inserts, wall-mounted, or freestanding. Wood burning fireplaces – could be closed or open. There are different types of fireplaces that babies need to be kept away from: Prevents sparks from exiting the fireplace.
Pictured below is a child safety gate placed around a wood burning fireplace. We all realize the importance of teaching children as early as possible the dangers of a fire, and the consequences of getting to close to it, but when dealing with babies, actions have more power than words. In a study released in 2009, poison control centers reported more than 3,500 cases of carbon monoxide exposure in children under the age of 19, proving how a carbon monoxide alarm is a must for everyone who owns a fireplace.
#Babyproof fireplace screen install#
Make sure the area surrounding the fireplace is clear of flammable objects, such as furniture, drapes or newspapers, and install both smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. To keep your family safe during the cold season we suggest to carry out annual maintenance on your fireplace and chimney, in order to prevent creosote buildups and potential fires. Not only can babies and small children get burnt by the fireplace, they can also breathe in unsafe levels of carbon monoxide. Every type of fireplace, whether wood-burning, gas, or electric, poses a potential danger to children.
Baby proof a fireplace with a safety gateĪccording to the US Fire Administration, more than one-third of Americans use fireplaces, wood stoves or other fuel fired appliances to heat their homes.