Gates are made in various forms and styles, from a range of different materials, for use both inside and outside the home. While they have various functions related mainly to safety and security, gates are primarily used to keep people and/or animals in or out.

Essential elements that ensure baby gates and pet gates will keep your home safe relate to both the materials used to manufacture the gate as well as design – including height and the distance between vertical bars. Any type of safety gate must be strong and sturdy and, once installed, both solid and secure. Baby gates and pet gates must be sufficiently high to prevent the possibility of babies and children from climbing over them, and dogs jumping over them. While not relevant for pet gates, baby gates mustn’t have any form of horizontal slat or bar that could be used as a ladder. The vertical bars or slats should also be spaced so that babies, young children, and pets cannot push through them.

Cardinal Gates makes a range of baby gates and pet gates to suit the specific needs of parents and pet owners. Some may be pressure mounted and others mounted on the wall. There are several models that are suitable for use at the top or bottom of stairs, for high traffic areas, as well as expandable gates. Various gate extensions are also available to increase the height of gates.

Different Types of Baby Gates

Baby gates are manufactured in different sizes and heights from various materials including wood, mild steel, wrought iron, and relatively lightweight aluminum. Most of the metal designs are powder-coated, minimizing maintenance.

Some designs may be mounted at any angle. While most are intended for use indoors, there are also outdoor safety gates available.

Baby gates are available in heights from 29½ inches to the extra tall 36 inch-high pressure gate. Bar spacing is generally either 2¼ or 2½ inches which will prevent a baby, toddler, or young child from pushing through the bars.

Many gates widths are adjustable and typical options are 26½ to 40½ or 41½ inches, or even as wide as 54¼ inches with extensions that increase openings to as much as 64 inches.

A great option for high traffic areas, some of Cardinal Gates’ baby gates feature a patented auto-lock as well as an open-and-close mechanism that enables adults to walk through the gate and simply pull the latch and then twist it to open, and then swing it closed.

Different Types of Pet Gates

Like baby gates, pet gates are manufactured in different heights and sizes, for either indoor or outdoor use including patios and decks. Materials range from wrought-iron, steel, aluminum, and solid wood to a combination of aluminum and stainless steel, and wood and steel. Some pet gates are freestanding, some may be expanded to make them wider, while others are made to add extensions that will make them higher. An extra-tall, 36-inch high design can span up to 54.5 inches. Like several other designs intended for high-traffic areas, it incorporates the company’s patented auto-lock. Bar spacing for the various designs ranges from 1 inch to 2½ inches.

Cardinal Gates’ pet gates are designed for all kinds of dogs from large jumpers to small-breeds and puppies. While some designs, like the powder-coated aluminum special stairway gate, are suitable for both pets and children, it is important to recognize when designs or specifically baby gates or pet gates.

Call us today for more information or shop online at cardinalgates.com to order your pet gates or baby gates!

Having a baby is exciting, but it comes with huge responsibilities that relate to child safety. If you are a pregnant mom and this is your first baby, you will need to consider just how baby proof your home is. Even before your baby starts to crawl, you need to be sure that the infant is safe, particularly when you bath and change its nappies.

Baby proofing a house isn’t rocket science, but children are inquisitive and can get themselves into trouble in seconds. This means parents and child carers must be vigilant.

Basic Child Safety Tips

Elements of child safety are varied, but they mostly relate to keeping the child out of harm’s way.  For example:

  • Bath water should never be too hot because a baby’s sensitive skin can be easily burned. You might enjoy a piping hot bath, but it should be at blood temperature for a baby. Do a wrist test to check the temperature.
  • A baby can drown in even the smallest volume of water, so never leave an infant or young child unsupervised in a tub or near water. This includes not only swimming pools and ponds but also the toilet!
  • Poisons and toxic products, including medicine and household cleaners, should be kept out of reach of children. Store these in cabinets where children can’t reach them and keep the cabinets locked.
  • Children should be protected from stairs and prevented access to any high vantage point from which they might fall. Baby gates are the best baby proofing option here.
  • Keep windows closed unless they are burglar-proofed with bars or an expandable device that a child won’t be able to fit through. A Window Warden is the perfect child proof window accessory.
  • Children should be protected from gaining access to anything that might burn them including hot irons, heaters, and open fireplaces – including indoor or outdoor barbecue units. If you have an open fireplace, install a hearth guard.
  • Protect children from accessing electrical outlets by fitting outlet covers or safety plugs. Also, keep appliances like hairdryers, toasters, and irons unplugged and out of reach.
  • Don’t leave babies alone with pets. Cats love to snuggle next to something warm and have been known to smother babies. Dogs bite, not necessarily because they are vicious, but also in self-defense. So if a little person sticks its fingers in a dog’s eyes, or tries to take food away from it, there could be trouble. A good solution is to install pet gates to prevent dogs entering your baby’s domain.

The Role of Baby Gates for Child Safety

Good quality, well-designed baby gates are the best way to prevent young children and toddlers from gaining access to areas of the house that harbor danger or where there might be risks. Whether you want to stop the child from accessing a passage that leads to an open-plan kitchen, prevent him from trying to go up or down stairs, or from getting into the backyard, baby gates are the answer.

Cardinal Gates produces a range of baby gates and pet gates that have been designed with child safety in mind. Some are designed to be wall mounted, while others are pressure mounted. Heights are variable, but all can be installed quickly and easily, with minimal drilling and screwing.

If you are a pregnant mom and haven’t considered installing baby gates or pet gates to maximize child safety in your home, contact Cardinal Gates or order products online at cardinalgates.com

Is your home babyproof? You owe it to your child to ensure that it is. With the right baby gate you can prevent toddlers from accessing the backyard, stairways, and any part of the house that might contain dangerous items of any sort from water the child could drown in, to medicines he or she might swallow.

Cardinal Gates has a range of safety gates designed to keep babies and children out of harm’s way. Made of metal and wood, they are all easy to install quickly and with the minimum of effort.

When choosing the right baby gate there are several factors to take into account:

  • Method of mounting
  • Whether it is intended for indoor or outdoor use
  • Where exactly it will be used, for example, at the top or bottom of stairs
  • Whether the gate is expandable or not

How Baby Gates are Mounted

There are two ways Cardinal Gates’ baby gates are mounted, either on the wall or with pressure fittings that don’t require screws or bolts. If mounted on the wall you will require screws and wall plugs or drywall anchors. Pressure gates are installed using special fittings that are tightened once in place. Screws or bolts may be used for additional stability.

Pressure Gates

Made to span an opening of between 29.5 and 32.5 inches, Cardinal Gates’ extra tall metal pressure gates can be used with extensions that will enable you to close an area up to 54.5 inches wide. At three foot, they are 20 percent higher than most safety gates and they feature auto-close and auto-lock functions. These gates open in both directions are made from steel and powder-coated in black or white. They are not recommended for use at the top of stairs.

Wall-Mounted Gates

There is a much bigger choice of wall-mounted gates, including several that are intended for use at the top or bottom of stairs. Additionally, wall-mounted gates are available in metal and wood, and for both indoor and outdoor use.

Cardinal Gates’ automatic locking safety gates are great for indoor areas that are accessed frequently. Made of powder-coated aluminum, they feature a patented latch that locks when the gate is swung shut. The latch is easy for adults to open by simply pulling and twisting, but impenetrable for babies, toddlers, and very young children.

There is also a powder-coated steel gate that is 29½ inches high and adjustable in width from 26½ to 41½ inches. Particularly easy to assemble, it can be wall-mounted at any angle.

If you need a safety gate that will keep young children in an outdoor space, you’ll need a design that is weatherproof. Similar in size to the powder-coated steel gate, Cardinal Gates’ outdoor safety gate is made of aluminum and stainless steel and is also powder-coated. In addition to this gate that may be used to block stairways, there are several other safety gates that are suitable for preventing babies and young children from accessing stairs. The safest of them all is made from powder-coated aluminum and features a latch system toddlers will never fathom but is easy for adults to operate with just one hand. A stylish “wrought iron” (steel) design, also powder coated, features the same latch.

If you need to span longer-the-usual openings, an XpandaGate is the answer. This design has the auto-close and auto-lock latch.

If you need a safety gate to help protect your child look no further than Cardinal Gates, the baby safety gate specialists.

Puppies, like toddlers, can get themselves into a whole lot of trouble. They can also wreak havoc, chewing and destroying things, and piddling and pooping all over the house until they are house trained.

The answer is to puppy proof your home to keep them safe, and to protect your home from baby-canine damage. This will also give you the opportunity to do some serious house training in an area where clean-up won’t be an issue.

Gates to Puppy Proof Your Home

Just about any Cardinal Gates’ gate intended for young children will enable you to puppy proof your home, depending of course on the layout and design of your house. But of course, we also offer gates that are made just for your pets! These gates can be used to contain puppies in specific areas, to stop them accessing stairs – either from the bottom or to stop them falling from the top, and to keep them from wandering off and getting into trouble. Pens may also be used if you want to contain the puppy in a small space.

There are several factors to consider when choosing a gate that will enable you to embark on puppy proofing your home:

  • Whether you are blocking off space in a room or from a passage or blocking the top or bottom of stairs, the dimensions of the gate need to work, particularly the width. Some have an adjustable width which is very useful and makes the gate extra versatile.
  • Any gate, fence, or pen must be high enough to stop a puppy from jumping over it. A height that is generally acceptable is 29½ inches, which is even suitable for large-breed puppies and full-sized dogs. Lower puppy-specific gates might be as low as 20 inches. Just be aware that as they grow and learn to jump they might be able to scale the obstacle. For this reason, Cardinal Gates offer height extensions for many of its designs. Width extensions are also available for some models.
  • Bar spacing. For a gate to be puppy proof it is essential that the animal can’t get through the bars. Clearly, if the bars are spaced every 2.25 inches not even the smallest breed pup will get through. But be sure to check.
  • Gates suitable for puppy proofing homes are made of several different materials including:
    • Solid wood. This includes different types of wood including oak and walnut, as well as wood that has been coated. While solid and longlasting, the uncoated versions might appeal to puppy teeth though it will take a very long time for a pup to chew through the bars.
    • Wrought iron and powder-coated aluminum or mild steel are great materials for puppy proofing homes. Stainless steel is another excellent option.
  • Installation methods. You can puppy proof a home with freestanding gates, fences, or pens, or with gates that are hardware mounted or pressure mounted.
    • Freestanding gates. These are supported in various ways and are stable. Some have simple rubber feet, while others have special stabilizing feet that may be used, and some simply sit flat on the floor.
    • Hardware mounted gates. These include special stairway pet gates that are great for puppy proofing.
    • Pressure mounted gates. Installed without screws, these gates are higher than most and very easy to fit.

If you want to puppy proof your home, contact Cardinal Gates today to find out which pet product will work best for you.

Babies are small, vulnerable, and totally dependent on other humans to ensure their safety. As they get older and become increasingly mobile they need even more protection from the many potential hazards they will experience in life. The horrifying reality is that more accidents happen at home than anywhere else – the very place you would think your baby was safe!

So how can you baby proof your home and make it safe?

First of all, even before you identify potential hazards in your home, it’s important to realize that nothing will ever take the place of adult supervision. Just because you have safety products in place doesn’t mean you can sit back and ignore what babies and children are doing in your home. But having safety products in place certainly does make life easier for everyone.

Identify Potential Hazards in Your Home

There are probably more potential hazards in your home than you can ever imagine. While kitchens are bathrooms are recognized as being high-risk rooms, even bedrooms that are considered safe havens need to be evaluated.

Generically, baby proofing your home involves identifying anything and everything that could provide a risk. These include:

  • Steps and decks that a baby could fall down or off
  • Smooth surfaces that become slippery when wet
  • Windows he or she could fall out of and/or break and result in being cut
  • Doors they could catch their little fingers or toes in
  • Drawers and cabinets they could open that might contain potentially dangerous items from medicines and household cleaners to nuts and bolts they could swallow
  • Fireplaces where they could get burnt
  • Electric sockets and outlets that provide power … a finger or other object poked into a socket will usually result in electric shock
  • Stoves, ovens, and cookers that also introduce the hazards of burns and either injury from electricity or gas
  • Taps that deliver hot water that burns
  • Water in baths, sinks, and basins … a baby can drown in just a couple of inches of water
  • Even the corners of furniture they could bump into and get severely hurt

Once you have identified the hazards in your own home you can take steps to minimize the dangers and in this way baby proof it.

Products That Can Keep Babies and Children Safe

Generally, limiting access to certain parts of the house will make it relatively baby proof. The best way to do this is with a gate that can be installed quickly and easily.

These may be:

  • Pressure mounted with customized clamps and gate latches
  • Wall mounted
  • Manufactured specifically for use at the top of stairs or in stairwells
  • Expandable for wider spaces including passages or access areas that lead into adjoining rooms
  • Designed for outdoor spaces, for instance at the bottom of stairs that lead to the house

There are also invaluable devices that prevent children from getting into or out of doors. For example, Cardinal Gates has various Door Guardian products that are used to child and baby proof exterior doors, inward swinging doors, and patio doors. Also invaluable for seniors who tend to sleepwalk, the Door Guardian has been recognized as one of the best “new child safety products” by the Washington DC-based National Safe Kids Campaign.

There are also safety drawer and cabinet latches, safety locks including the Window Warden, hearth guards, and corner and edge “cushions”.

Plug Guards, Cord Keepers, Socket Guards, and socket lock kits are invaluable when it comes to stopping little fingers getting access to electricity.

Cardinal Gates’ Safety Products

Cardinal Gates has a number of safety products that will make your home child and baby proof. Get your child ready for little ones with Cardinal Gates shop online.