# Safety gate for awkward spot/skirting



## minkymoo

I'm getting seriously pissed off with online researching of extending gates that will allow for skirting board at the bottom one one side, and wall one side and stairpost on the other at the top end. 

Anybody have any recommendations?


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## smokey

Sorry im trying to imagin this :)
It kinda reads as though there is 3 sides so im having trouble understanding.


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## minkymoo

:haha: I thought that when I wrote it but I'm so pissed off I couldn't be bothered to change it.

Basically, I have a square stairpost one side (top and bottom) and wall (top) and skirt (bottom) on the other. Make more sense? :haha:


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## suzib76

i think i understand but not sure why a normal gate couldnt fit it so maybe not ?


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## minkymoo

I thought the same but having read about 356,799 reviews it would seem that skirting boards really throw a spanner in the works. I'm just going to have to find a company that I can return to without it costing me a fortune, should the one I try not work. Bloody house.


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## suzib76

oh i have never had a problem with skirtings

we have normal lindam pressure fit gates and you can adjust all 4 points individually so it doesnt matter if the top is wider than the bottom (if thats even what you mean - its quite hard to visualise)


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## BethK

We have the same at the top of our stairs.

We got one of these extending gates -

https://www.babysecurity.co.uk/categories/316/Safety-Gates-%26-Fireguards/Screw-Fit-Stair-Gates/

It's great as its not pressure fit so no bottom bar and is able to be fitted to the wall above the skirting.


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## punk_pig

My hubby just had to abandon fitting our Ikea stair gates for the same reason. He thought he'd just fit it above the skirting but it is way higher than we imagined when we were shopping for them and I could crawl under the gap!! 

However I saw some in Tesco that have adjustable bracing bits so you can unscrew the bit for the wall a bit further than the bit for the skirting. However at the bottom of our stairs we have the newel post on one side and then a wall with skirting but halfway up it turns in to a WINDOW!! Hubby is going to have to screw big blocks of wood to the window sill in order to have something to attach the gate to!!!!!

I think a lot of people just use them in doorways of selected rooms and avoid the skirting board issue, but we've too many rooms to choose from.


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## minkymoo

suzib76 said:


> oh i have never had a problem with skirtings
> 
> we have normal lindam pressure fit gates and you can adjust all 4 points individually so it doesnt matter if the top is wider than the bottom (if thats even what you mean - its quite hard to visualise)

I know :haha: We have pressure fits for the kitchen and the bottom of the stairs but I can seem to find similar for a wide 97cm opening. I despair. I think I'm just tired and would rather be researching handbags or such like.....



BethK said:


> We have the same at the top of our stairs.
> 
> We got one of these extending gates -
> 
> https://www.babysecurity.co.uk/categories/316/Safety-Gates-%26-Fireguards/Screw-Fit-Stair-Gates/
> 
> It's great as its not pressure fit so no bottom bar and is able to be fitted to the wall above the skirting.

Which one, Beth? It's showing me the whole page/range :flower:


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## minkymoo

punk_pig said:


> My hubby just had to abandon fitting our Ikea stair gates for the same reason. He thought he'd just fit it above the skirting but it is way higher than we imagined when we were shopping for them and I could crawl under the gap!!
> 
> However I saw some in Tesco that have adjustable bracing bits so you can unscrew the bit for the wall a bit further than the bit for the skirting. However at the bottom of our stairs we have the newel post on one side and then a wall with skirting but halfway up it turns in to a WINDOW!! Hubby is going to have to screw big blocks of wood to the window sill in order to have something to attach the gate to!!!!!
> 
> I think a lot of people just use them in doorways of selected rooms and avoid the skirting board issue, but we've too many rooms to choose from.

Nightmare, isn't it?!!!


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## BethK

https://www.babysecurity.co.uk/products/1404/BabyDan-MultiDan-Extending-Stair-Gate-61%252D109cm-White.html

It was similar to this one. Although any gate that's screw fit can be fixed to the wall/banister above the skirting as there's no bottom bar.


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## smokey

I thought all gates had a adjustable twisty fitting, all the ones iv ever see have anyway.

OH grandparents just used this one on the bottom of there staires 
https://www.lindam.com/product/safety-gates/safety/easy-fit-premium.html

and they have a stair post one side and a skirting on the side of the wall, you just twist each rod bit out to as far as you need it ie not quite as far on the skirting bit.

I do suggest looking for one without a bar across the bottom when it comes to staires though to prevent tripping


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## tommyg

Moo we have same issue resolved with two, top and bottom, of the lindam presure gates with extension piece. Decide on your gate and add the extensions to suit the bottom measurement the bolts will have enough extension to cope with the top. 

You are better with one 14cm extension than 2x7cm. I think they can be bought direct from Lindams website but we got our extensions from amazon.


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## sweetlullaby

We have the window issue at the top of our stairs lol and our landing isn't even suitable to put one across it. We ended up having no choice but to Put the stairgate on the bedroom door for safety


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## Alias

We just got a basic one and fit it above the skirting (this Lindam one from argos) but I think it would work with a top and bottom gap discrepancy if you screwed the hinges to the wall. It has screw connectors to widen it, so you can set the top and bottom width seperately. 

I was iffy on putting holes in the wall, but decided since number 2 is on the way we're going to have the gates up for a while, and we can always fill in the holes later.


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## punk_pig

Is everyone's skirting board really short or something? Our is 8 inches tall so fitting the gate above it kinda defeats the object of having the gate...


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## Alias

punk_pig said:


> Is everyone's skirting board really short or something? Our is 8 inches tall so fitting the gate above it kinda defeats the object of having the gate...

I'd guess that the bottom of our gate is about 5-6 inches off the floor b/c of skirting. Enough for the cat to squeeze under, but not the toddler. But yes, I think 8 inches is tall for skirting. I'd think in our house it's about 1/2 that.


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## RachA

We have lindom ones on our stairs and they fit no problem. We have skirting at the bottom on one side and wall at the top on the same side. On the other side it's the stair post. We have the pressure ones that you tighten up and they fit with no problems.


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## Gingerspice

this website is fab for gates. maybe have a look on there?

https://www.safetots.co.uk/Safety-Essentials/Stair-Gates/c1_2/index.html


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