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Baby Gate Building

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Did you ever have an irrational fear?  Something that totally doesn’t make sense?

For the most part, I am a fairly laid-back mama….but when it comes to stairs, I am uber paranoid.  I think it’s because I never developed the reflex to put my hands out if I fall (true story) and so I fall down a lot of steps on my face.  Go ahead.  Say the “oh so that’s what happened to it” joke.  My brother loves that one.

And now, anytime I sense that the kids are near stairs, I get all crazy and think that their little money-makers are gonna get mangled from a tumble.  It could happen.  That is why a baby gate on the deck is absolutely necessary.  I can’t imagine these poor Bower boys with busted up noses and fat lips and of course the cost of soaking them in a vitamin E oil bath constantly.  It would be terrible.

But I am happy to say that the baby gate is officially done and it is looking like it should have always been there.  We wanted to have something that blended with the rest of the railings….in general, I am anti-mixing styles on an exterior structure.  And I think the finished product is looking mighty fine, right?

Here’s how we did it…

First Jeremy put together a frame of 2×4’s the size of the opening.  We left roughly a quarter to a half inch on either side as a gap.

Jeremy fixed this onto the 6×6 post with these black gate brackets from Home Depot.

Then he added two 1×4’s to the top and bottom…copying the deck look.  Then the balusters were cut to fit and screwed into place.  I asked Jeremy if they could be spaced roughly the same spacing as the other railings.

Then he sandwiched them in place with another 1×4…both top and bottom.

Pretty nice right?  And looks like the little brother of the regular railings.

Next came the latch and I put on the piece to the door first so that I could line up the latching mechanism correctly.  If it’s not lined up where the straight piece goes directly into the right latch spot, it won’t lock easily and it’ll be one of those annoying ‘closing the gate three times things’.  Excuse my stain-stained fingers and dirty fingernails….I am not one with a regular manicure (I WISH!).

Here’s the lined up latch.  Now if you gently swing the door shut, it will naturally go into place and latch.

And there is our finished baby gate!  Totally ready for any little bobble heads that plan to make a great escape.  Oh and we checked it with Will (just to make sure he could unlatch it from the other side and he can…which is great because it means more freedom for our big boy!)

When it swings open, it will stay open if we push it all the way….otherwise it gently starts to swing close.  We originally bought a self-closing latch kit and when we thought about never being able to leave this open, it didn’t make sense for us right here….but we see how some folks would like that feature.

Overal, the cost of the gate was somewhere in the neighborhood of $25.  It is so inexpensive to do….especially since flimsy baby gates would do very little if a boy like Weston tried to put his weight against it.  I definitely want to have Jeremy put a gate at the bottom too….and two more inside (probably a very different style than this) but knowing how easy it is, I am stoked about the safety factor….and the ‘save my babies’ faces factor’.  I mean…if you had these three running around, you would feel the same way….

So are you feeling where this deck is heading?  I am super excited to share more of what we did…this was a huge project for us for the last couple months and we absolutely LOVE getting to show ya the progress.  And for those folks that have left comments about their own deck renovations…it is daunting…believe me, I was super wary of the work load in the beginning but trust me…the end result is well worth it.  You will be so glad you just (in the words of Dorie…) kept-on-swimming…..or (in the words of me) kept-on-decking.  And thanks for following along on this adventure.  I really can’t wait to get past all these detail posts so that I can show you some end results!

p.s.  I just wanted to say that I have a big prayer request….if y’all are a prayer warrior, I would really appreciate it if you lifted up my uncle.  He is a paranoid schizophrenic and is currently in the hospital.  Part of his mental health issues is that he completely distrusts medicine and doctors but is a diabetic and has been refusing his insulin so now he is unconscious, on a ventilator, and experiencing kidney failure.  His prognosis wasn’t great…and I know that my grandparents and my parents are all there to do whatever they can to advocate for him and for his wellbeing.  Any little prayer would be amazing.  Thanks y’all.  Love ya.  Mean it.

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  2. First and foremost praying for your uncle. That is rough to walk through for your family, I am sure.

    Secondly, I had to laugh because last year when I worked on our deck (powerwashing, sanding, and staining just like you!) I kept hearing Dorie in my head as well. “Just keep sanding, just keep staining…” So much work but this year I just got to plop down the umbrella for the picnic table and a few other things and voila! ready for Spring and Summer.

  3. Hi Katie, what a timely post! We’re considering buying a house with a walk-out basement and were wondering how we will manage our little brood and the deck. Could you please let me know how much you like having a walkout basement vs. having your backyard on the same level as living room and kitchen?? Would you recommend this arrangement for a young family?? We hope to use the basement as an in-law suite at some point and think that bigger windows and a separate exit might come in handy. Thanks in advance!

  4. Great job! Love that it does look like it should be there. Sorry to hear about your uncle. Praying!!!

  5. That gate is amazing! I totally will be stealing it when we finally decided to build our deck! What a great way to keep unwanted critters away too! And obviously you need to keep those tiny faces as cute as they are! Prayers for your uncle!

  6. It looks beautiful! You two are so talented.
    Prayers for your uncle. Hugs to you all.

  7. Hi Katie, great gate, it looks beautiful.

    God bless your uncle on his recovery. Sending your family a big hug. Xo

  8. I’ll say a prayer for your uncle. My aunt shares his diagnosis, and while she is currently stable, I know how difficult it can be.

    Also, the gate looks great. Hoping your deck series makes me brave enough to tackle my own!

  10. We had our handyman build us a gate for our deck last summer and it was the best thing we ever did. I love that it matches our deck and looks like it was always there!

  12. Love the way things are looking, but aren’t those sandwiched balusters on the baby gate going to collect a lot of water? It might be a good idea to drill some drainage holes through the lower 2×4 🙂

  14. Legitimate question which I’m sure you thought of so that’s why I’m asking! Is the latch not reachable by Weston already? Would it have made more saftey sense to have it on the other side? Or was the gate just so that there’s not a giant opening to fall through and by the time they’d get it open you’d notice? Thanks for addressing your thought process! I’m a mom of two boys so I totally get it!!

  15. Love it! Totally worth protecting those sweet boys! Praying for your uncle, family, doctors and all involved!

  16. I am a ding dong and every time you previously mentioned “baby gate” I read “built-in playpen” in my head. So I totally imagined just a little corner with a playpen-ish thing built in. I was surprised when I saw this post and then I thought “ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. That makes SO much more sense.” 🙂

  17. Love your deck and what is happening to it! Can’t wait to see what it looks like finished! Prayers for your uncle! Love your blog!

  18. Well, it is reachable but he doesn’t understand it yet and we aren’t gonna show him 🙂 So I am sure that he will be able to figure it out eventually. Also…he is really not the one we want to keep corralled…it’s more LJ…Weston has been doing stairs for over a year so he is really good at them…but yes, this does help in delaying the stair climbing. Also, we have noticed that just having a gate in place has allowed him to understand that we are staying in this area.
    xo – kb

  19. I didn’t even think of that….but I went outside to check (we had rain yesterday) and there wasn’t any in there….so maybe if that happens, we will!
    xo – kb

  20. we did this exact same thing last year!!! Same latches, and hinges, and everything. I LOVE it. And when its closed, it looks like its been there all along. so perfect.

    We use it so much. Its nice to lock it and have the kids use the deck as a little extension of play area. I can even be right inside and know they’re safe out there.

    The only issue we’ve had with time, is the weight of the wood eventually and naturally pulls down so we now have to lift the door up slightly to close it in the latch. Not a big deal, but something to watch for over the months. Im sure constant usage has done its part on that too of course. But just a heads up 🙂

  21. We love having a walkout basement. I grew up with that and so for me, a deck with stairs (and now a gate!) just makes sense. I understand how having a backyard on the same level could be good too but I like looking out my kitchen window and seeing a birds eye view of the backyard and also it gives me a sense of security being up higher.
    xo – kb

  22. I was wondering about this too – I love the way it looks, but would bugs and cobwebs get gunked up in there? Then I thought about the whole deck, and the idea of making a billion tiny pieces to screw into place to make the deck gap-less made my head hurt 🙂 I guess you could always take the pressure washer to it once a year to blast out any gross stuff that winds up in there.

  23. Praying for your uncle. And the organic nut in me is freaking out about the stain your skin is absorbing while preggo! Double up on gloves for my peace of mind!! 🙂

  24. I do wear gloves but this was just from ripping them off without being careful….trust me…otherwise I would have completely Dark Walnut hands 🙂
    xo – kb

  25. Prayer said sweetie 🙂 The deck is shaping up beautifully! Can’t wait to see the outcome.

  26. Prayers for you uncle!

    Thank you for the beautiful pictures. Your deck is really coming along

  27. Praying for your family!

    Also, I love this! 🙂 It looks like it’s always been there. I can’t wait to see the deck finished!

  28. If you want to be able to keep the gate open, it looks like you could add the same latch base (for lack of the right terminology!) to the post where the latchy-thingy hits when it’s open. Just a thought.

    Prayers for your uncle and your family during this difficult time.

  29. So not an irrational fear. We just moved into our new house and didn’t have an adequate baby gate up on the deck, it was more for the dogs. And my 19 month old ran at it and went down all the stairs. He got a black eye and a broken arm from it. Needless to say I sent this post to my husband so we can get this thing built this weekend.

  32. Looks great! My parents have gates similar to these on their deck at their lakehouse. They were installed before my parents bought the house, and I’m not sure if whoever installed them before didn’t get hinges that were heavy-duty enough, or if this just happens after time, but the gate has started to sag, as if the top hinge just couldn’t take the weight anymore. It is to the point now that if the gate is not closed (and has the extra help of the lock holding it up), it sags and rests on the deck itself.
    Just curious, did you get any special kind of hinge?

  33. Sorry about your Uncle! He will be in my thoughts and prayers!

    I don’t normally comment on things like this but I am a Mental Health Counselor and Mental Health is a huge deal to me, especially with the stigma surrounding it. This is really just an FYI, but it is polite and appropriate (not to mention politically correct) to describe individuals with mental health issues as “an individual with paranoid schizophrenia”, rather than “a paranoid schizophrenic”. Many people don’t understand or know this either. Labels such as these I think stem from the stigma surrounding Mental Health that the person is the problem, rather than the disease or disorder these individuals might suffering from. Of course, it all depends on how the individual would like to be called and make meaning out of their diagnosis.

    (Sorry if this has come across as rude, that is the farthest from my intentions, just advocating for my field 🙂 ).

  34. Well, the hinges are the heavy duty ones (you can see more details per the link) and then we did attach the 2×4 top to the 2×4 sides with screws that were up and down (this is the strongest way to screw them together) so that it doesn’t sag but I will definitely let you know how it works out in the future.
    xo – kb

  37. Ah, don’t ever consider the fear of your kids falling down the stairs “irrational”! I know, sometimes its *okay* for them to get hurt, and by no means am I a helicopter to my 3 year old.. but last summer while visiting family across the country, my kid was sassing me and walked backwards off of the porch steps. It was only 6 steps, but he did bust his nose and lip and I still haven’t forgiven myself!

  38. My thoughts are with your Uncle and family!

    It’s absolutely not irrational to fear your babies falling down stairs! When I was about 2 I took a tumble down our hardwood stairs and knocked out my two (growing) front bottom teeth. It ended up permanently damaging my adult buds and those two teeth are discolored and don’t have a normal enamel. I was and am perfectly fine but no one wants to see their babies hurt! Always better safe than sorry! The gate looks awesome! I’m loving following along with your deck updates!

  39. Praying for your Uncle and the rest of your family.
    Strength, peace, and courage.
    Bless you all.

    PS Katie, I’ve read your blog for a couple of years, and last summer I found out that my sister, who lives in Loganville, knows you! Her name is Katie A., (I think you all went to the same church) she has 5 adult kids, and I think her daughter Kaitlin babysat for you once

  41. May the Lord shine His healing light throughout every cell of your uncle’s body. May He quiet his fears and give him peace. May His wisdom guide your family’s decisions, and may God’s mercy and grace be seen throughout the entire situation. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

  42. I know you didn’t ask me, but we have a similar set-up (though not as beautiful). Our family/play room is in the daylight basement and with a big sliding door and then we have a porch off of our formal living room (same level as kitchen). We really like it so far. Our deck is structurally unsafe and so for the past year we’ve been getting to the backyard through the basement or garage and it works. Once we have our new porch it will be even better.

    It looks beautiful! I’m saving this for when we re-do our porch! We have an 18 month old who is super adventurous!

  44. Prayers for your uncle, Katie. So sorry.

    Love the new gate to the deck! As a grandmother of 2 that have a deck on their house and upstairs also, I am all about their safety!!

  45. Praying for complete healing of mind, soul and body in Jesus name!!! Psalm 30.2 xox God bless all of you guys

  46. praying for your family member! Hopefully things will turn around. Such a sad situation for you all. Hang in there!

  47. This looks fabulous. We used a wooden already made gate that fastened to the deck. Unfortunately, since it was made for indoors it would swell and get stuck. We live in Seattle, where it can rain in the summer. So sometimes we were forced to climb over it. It worked well enough, but I’m glad we’re past that stage now:)

  50. I also have the setup and had issues with the same thing after a few months. I built the original gate with screws, but had to tear it apart and rebuild a new framewith nuts and bolts that I could continue to tighten if it came loose. I dont think it’s that specific set so much as it is the wood just expanding and shrinking and the additional weight after it rains. Definitely stain it, but they say not to stain until after the first few rainfalls…

  51. Praying for your uncle, Katie. My uncle passed away 3 years ago from renal failure due to the same situation (paranoid schizophrenic with diabetes). I will be praying that yours turns out differently for your family.

  52. Deck is looking GREAT! Prayers for your uncle and family!

    Off topic question – I’m expecting baby 2 (16 month age gap) and am curious if you went the double stroller route? Also, what is your car seat situation and configuration? I already want a mini van! I had hoped I would make it to 30 before pulling that trigger 😉 did any of your boys experience jealousy issues when new baby arrives? we are planning on 3-4 children fairly close together, so any advice on surviving with babies close together would be GREATLY appreciated. None of my friends have children as close as ours, so I thought I would dump my questions on you 🙂

  53. First of all, I am praying for your uncle and the rest of your family at this difficult time.

    Second of all (secondly?), if you wanted to make sure the gate stayed open, you could get a copy of the latch system that you installed on the other side. Then when you swing it ‘open’ it would latch there… unlatch, and it will swing closed and latch again. Does that make any sense?

  54. It stays open if we open it and push it to the railing…I guess I wasn’t clear on that. It is really well balanced.
    xo – kb

  55. Thanks for the heads up…we will definitely keep our eye on it. We’ve been having tons of rain so it’s not even stained yet just simply because we haven’t had enough dry days in a row 🙁
    xo – kb

  56. Haha…we are already struggling with that! We have an SUV with a third row and we have the second row folded down partially. Will is in the way back behind the upright second row, and Weston is next to him (we still have to buckle him). The car seat for LJ is in the second row and we plan to put those right next to each other (one middle one in front of Will). That way we can access all three babies that still need help buckling. None of my boys were jealous but I have friends that did have that and eventually they realize (with lots of love and attention) that they are helpful and loved big siblings. I do have a double stroller but I don’t love it for infants so I think I might try out a new one this time around.
    xo – kb

  58. I’m familiar with that problem and have seen people attach a sort of roller-ball style wheel on the bottom outside corner of the gate so it “rolls out” instead of “swings out” — seems to work perfectly! Though not sure if there’s currently enough clearance under this gate to retrofit it that way.

  62. Oh you did… I just meant if it ever warps to the point where it DOESN’T stay closed, you could do that 🙂

  64. Ahhh!!!! Those enclosed balusters scare me! Do you get many bees around there? We ALWAYS had bee hives tucked away in little nooks of our deck, the thought of that many is terrifying. I hopped over the railing once and got stung by a bazillion.

  65. We do have bees but not a ton….like we end up with a nest or two at the end of the summer normally. I am more terrified of a kid falling off the deck than a bee sting.
    xo – kb

  69. Great work, but I’m wondering if the goal is to keep the kids on the deck why you’d put the latch on the inside, couldn’t the kid just reach up and undo the latch? Wouldn’t it make more sense to put it on the outside where only an adult could reach it?

  70. Well our kids are babies…by the time they can do a latch they can also do stairs…but yes good point – if it was a mechanism to keep them completely trapped I would do it a little differently!
    xo kb

  71. Hi Katie,

    I just came here today and first of all I will praying for your uncle and the rest of your family too.

    Ah, this is great. I love the gate, you two are creative.

  73. Hi Katie,

    I know it’s a pretty old article and hope your uncle is doing better now.

    The Baby Gate is looking absolutely perfect.How long it took Jeremy to finish this?

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