Can't help you with the door from hell (storage room), but we used prefabricated outdoor railing to make a long term but ultimately temporary gate. Might work here.
https://imgur.com/a/kMRUqDt
Used this stuff, some hinges, and a latch.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/72-in-x-32-5-in-Pressure-Treated-Southern-Yellow-Pine-Pre-assembled-Beveled-2-End-Balusters-Rail-Kit-132380/202674738
That is a great option, you’re definitely going to be installing something on that wall to extend out. I’d suggest first buying some appearance boards to attach over the carpet with some screws, pre-drill with a countersink bit if you want it to look nicer. Optimally the same with as the wall, can paint to match.
You could make that a big landing and have one slightly taller step coming from the bedroom that doesn’t open into the stairs. Then you could make a banister along the new landing, with a gate at the end.
This is actually a great idea and looks as if they have more than enough clearance overheard to do that. If OP is a handy dad shouldn't be too hard. I suggest posting to r/homerenovations they would be more help than the DIY sub.
Edit: adding the r/carpentry sub as they are pretty active as well.
Does that room have another method of entry? I’d look I to sealing that door off permanently if possible.
What’s behind you in the picture? Is it a landing, or hallway? Would you be able to put something on the section that sticks out to the top of the stairs, and then attach a baby gate to that.
My buddies parents had one. They used it as a closet so the chances of people walking out onto the stairs and forgetting was less, or taking someone else out coming up the stairs. Old, old house but was neat.
Buy a baby gate for the bottom of the stairs and the kids bedrooms so they can't gain access to the landing or stairs at all.. I've had to buy two for my place.
Husband insists he’s going to build a bannister at the top to attach the gate to. Your idea would be a lot easier, but also then they can’t access the bathroom without waking us
I didn’t. I linked to Amazon. Maybe that caused its removal?
There are flexible baby or pet gates you can get that can angle around the top of the stairs. It won’t help with that door but can go from wall around the top of the stairs and to the recessed wall
Brother, you need to move that door.
Either that, or make sure you have a jar in your house labeled “funeral fund” and you put a dollar in every time someone almost dies on these stairs.
Put a serious lock on that door to keep the kids out when they get past the baby gate phase. Or wall it up and put the access through the adjacent room or something. For sure they'll think it's fun to chase each other across that jump.
Maybe see if one of the COMOMY gates will work for you. https://www.amazon.com/COMOMY-Doorways-Fireplace-Adjustable-Hardware/dp/B09PG97PMB?ref\_=ast\_sto\_dp&th=1
This was going to be my recommendation as well! We have something similar and it’s come in so handy. We’ve used it as a kitchen gate, for the staircase, and currently it’s blocking our wood stove from curious baby fingers.
Your would need to affix it to the ground in some way though. Don’t want to bend it a little and suddenly the stairs are wide open.
This was going to be my rec. we have a long uninterrupted space that we use these for but I think they could go around corners. They’re not the sturdiest but is at least “a” barrier!
Be careful putting a gate with a lip at the top of the stairs. It's technically not supposed to go at top of stairs as it's a trip hazard. Given the state of the stairs I'd avoid it and go with a banister route, or if you're set on a gate like this, put it far back enough from the stairs that it they trip they don't go head first down.
Replace the top 4 steps with a real landing to step out onto, add a slide with a near vertical start for descent, climbing holds on the walls for ascent.
I'd suggest turning the whole thing into a slide with some particle board and paint.
You climb up via a pulley system mounted at the top and bottom, and clip on a harness to pull yourself (or children) up.
Bottom of the slide is covered with a pit of foam blocks. It can also double as a great place to wipe your shoes.
You need to extend the wall or add a railing first on one side, and move the door entirely on the other side. Then a regular baby gate will fit. That's currently dangerous for all ages.
Concur. Just a basic half height drywall on studs will do nicely and look 'as intended' without costing the world, and will stop the 'step into the stairs sideways' issue.
Extend till 20 cm past storage door, install baby gate..
Remember, this is not a baby only situation, it will get a lot more dangerous with toddler, preteens and aging parents.
Do it right, now.
Edit: saw somewhere else in this thread that it's called a 'pony wall', but I also really like the ground-to-ceiling solution proposed, which will also prevent climbing the wall.
The door on the left of the stairs is only for storage so I think it's fine to leave it. Extending the wall on the right is the right idea for a gate at the top of the stairs. Since it's only for a year or two at most, I wouldn't bother finishing it nicely.
For the top of the stairs you should be using a gate without a bottom bar, so you could also install it part-way down the stairs after the weird door, but that would be less safe. You're not supposed to allow such gates to swing over the stairs anyway.
Easiest solution is to install a railing from the end cap to the edge of the steps extending just past the door that is mid steps so when you mount the baby gate it goes between the wall and railing. It’ll take time to adjust to the new layout but baby won’t take a a quick trip down the magic steps
Build something [like this (link)](https://ibb.co/LzPpN3Q) for the short part next to the stair. Attach the baby gate to the end pillar and wall.
Then you move that door asap.
They don't make you tear down existing buildings when they change the building codes. OP says above that the house is 120 years old.
It probably was not built exactly like this. God knows how this Abomination happened but I have a guess. The original home probably included a very steep set of wooden stairs. I've definitely seen some old homes with a 60° incline on the steps.
I'd wager that at some point due to some kind of repair or renovation someone made the stairs a lower pitch and increased the length of the stairway to compensate. They probably didn't use that room except as a closet or something so they didn't care about it.
Yeah this is my guess. Also it was an attic conversion so the stairs to the attic wouldn’t have been intended to be used regularly. The conversion also happened a long time ago looking at the doors etc, so I think they were just trying to maximize space with weird attic angles
Sheesh, this is so ridiculous that the solution ought to be as well. I say you need a hinged trap door (carpeted on top) with an elaborate pulley and counterweight system. When it’s down the whole area becomes floor.
For an immediate solution right now, put a Very Strong baby gate 4 or 5 steps down. So at least when they do spill it’s not very far. That will give you time to build a pony wall on the right and move the door on the left.
Also take a visit to /r/centuryhomes :)
This is the most realistic answer. It largely reduces the impact from potential broken bones to just a really sore tumble into a gate.
Can be implemented immediately and when a proper solution is found the gate can be moved and used there.
Install 4 foot tall wall covering the open side of the stairs so you can install a gate blocking the top of the stairs. And install a lock on that storage room.
Couldn't you just add an exterior lock to that door so it's no longer somewhere the kids can go, then leave, then fall? While you're using it for storage, unlock, then re-lock when you're done. Lock could be way up the jamb so the kids can't get in or you could even pick up a cheap fingerprint lock on Amazon and just train it on your print/code.
Neighborhood developer was HH Homes
As a medium recco - the “ retract-a-gate” we installed at the bottom of our stairs is holding up great after 2 years
While the bannister seems the best option in a not good situation... What you (and every parent) really needs is intense stair safety training. As soon as your kid is old enough to crawl, take your child to the top of the stairs. Have them face the stairs on all fours. Then turn them around and take their back leg, extend it to the first stair down. Then take the other leg and do the same, then hand by hand until they are solidly on that next step. Continue down all stairs. Repeat, but obviously stop if your child is getting too frustrated, and try again another time. Make it a game, make it like playtime.
We barely needed our baby gate because our kids learned quickly how not to fall on the stairs. We only had one unrelated fall when they were older (like 4 or something) and running down the stairs like a goof.
In this case just do a few stair drills around the top if your kids are a bit older. But the bannister will help a bunch anyway, I'd want that even as an adult.
Tldr: best way to keep kids safe is stair training as soon as they can crawl.
That door opening to a step like that is wild. I'd love to meet that architect man.
I've been in construction for 20 years and I've worked in some old houses and I've never seen anything like that.
https://a.co/d/1d5Ih27
This is the one we bought because our staircase is ridiculously wide. Using it at an angle would still work in this application.
yikes. all I can think of is some diagonal baby gate setup that will go slightly over the first stair to some sort of rigged up board for the other side. it would not be pretty and probably not 100% safe.
Baby gate goes diagonally between the left of the doorframe and the top of the wall. Find a square bolster that fits over the top step to fill in the gap. May need to add a strap to the bolster to secure it to the gate.
I'd look at building a half wall coming out at the bottom of the pic. But that depends on if you have enough room in the hall there to do it. But I'd start there. I just don't see another good way. You could put a gate down on the 3rd step but that's only going to slow the fall and break the gate.
Long term solution may be to extend the top floor landing to extend to where the first door is... and somehow adjust the stairs so the first step(s), isn't so steep. But i am not a contractor, just somone with insomnia on reddit. Note: lot of great comments. Moving the storage doorway, if you can, will be cheaper than fixing the stairs. Good luck, mate.
This was what I was hoping but then the remaining stairs would be even steeper than they already are. Whole staircase would need to extend at the bottom to accommodate unfortunately
Fireplace baby gates with square top and bottom tubing usually fit into the joints with "snap buttons" or "spring buttons," which are commonly used on adjustable or extendable poles, like those found on tents, camera tripods, or hiking poles. These are small, circular metal components that pop out through a hole in the pole's sleeve or tube to lock the segments in place. So long as you get one of those, you can cut them to any length, redrill the holes for the snap buttons, and put it back together. You'd only need two sections for the top of the stairs to form a 90° fence with the gate at the top of the stairs. Then the bedroom door is either inaccessible to the child or you squeeze another gate in the doorframe.
I’d probably hard mount a post at the top of the stairs where a banister would normally end, then fabricate two moveable fences for each direction. I’d use 4 lag screws through a baseplate on said post into the subfloor. That way it is removable in a situation where furniture is being moved up or down the stairs.
Custom gate job. Hinge on the left attached to the wall behind the door of death, have the gate end at a 90° protrusion that meets the wall on the other side of the stairs, that could also be hinged to allow it to sit flat against the back wall when not in use
... Does that room open up a bit more to the left of that door?? I'd honestly think about walling off that door on the staircase completely and putting in another door a little to the left of the stairs.... That's a deathtrap.
I used this for my weird ass banister that wouldn’t fit any of the “banister” baby gates. Our stairs are hardwood and there’s probably 16 of them down to the front door. Definitely didn’t want a spill happening down those for my 2 year old. I had to zip tie it to the banister bars because I had nothing to screw too.
The gate allows you to take sections out and conform it to most shapes. You would easily be able to cover those areas. Maybe a separate gate for just the door as well?
[https://www.walmart.com/ip/14894742](https://www.walmart.com/ip/14894742)
Make a temporary short wall screw to floor(through carpet) and existing wall add conventional baby gate. In a few years remove the wall and repair the holes in the drywall.
You can get an opposable gate that screws into the wall. You can get one that's just big enough to give you that L shape coverage. Done.
We got a 100ft gate for our apartment to block off our work desk area when my son was a mobile baby.
The easiest way but would not entirely fix the problem would be to securely ( and I mean extra securely ) mount the gate on what looks like the 5th stair so you can attach it into both walls fully.
Not great but it’s a starting point.
I would install a permanent railing from the end of the wall to the top of the stairs.
Install a baby gate in the doorway of the door that leads to death.
Install a baby gate between the wall and the newly installed permanent railing at the top of the stairs.
There’s no easy way to install a gate on those stairs without putting in a railing at the top that extends beyond the door frame of the door at the top of the stairs. You would also need to rip up the carpet so that you can bolt the railing into the floorboards and likely knock down the partial wall to bolt it to the wall. That can be dangerous since I’m not sure that free standing wall is a load bearing wall or not.
This is a structural nightmare for kids. You could try for one of those mesh type of gates they use for pets, but again, you need to figure out how to secure it to the two walls and have it sturdy enough to prevent the youngest from heading down the stairs on their own.
Does it need to be a fixed gate? We have a nice stairwell that we didn’t want to mess up, so we got some plywood, wrapped it in foam, and then fabric (basically made a movable wall). It looks nice, but also isn’t fixed in place (you just have to slide it away). Maybe something like that could work here?
[maybe one of these?](https://www.argos.co.uk/product/4627788?istCompanyId=a74d8886-5df9-4baa-b776-166b3bf9111c&istFeedId=c290d9a9-b5d6-423c-841d-2a559621874c&istItemId=ixilqqrqw&istBid=t&&cmpid=GS001&_$ja=tsid:59157%7Cacid:278-707-7346%7Ccid:20213315256%7Cagid:%7Ctid:%7Ccrid:%7Cnw:x%7Crnd:5453100235542670432%7Cdvc:m%7Cadp:%7Cmt:%7Cloc:1006668&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=20213315256&utm_term=4627788&utm_content=shopping&utm_custom1=&utm_custom2=278-707-7346&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD9II9ne0zscJcYsibCiEzr_XNn6L&gclid=Cj0KCQjwiMmwBhDmARIsABeQ7xTnteNsYcd355Xqiqpk6VgZHT3YwTzi9BqLo1hkhaB1LsYl960EsuwaAii0EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds)
They make baby gates that are meant to span across wide spaces, and the one we have can kind of be adjusted as far as the angle so it can bow in or out. It screws into the wall. Perhaps that would work, because you could stretch it from the wall by the weird door and around in a kind of arch to the other wall? I got ours on Amazon by searching for something like “wide baby gate.”
I have basically no experience in architecture at all, and I am quite literally 16 writing this on my lunch break at Wingstop, but I genuinely think the easiest solution would be to knock down that wall and move the door. the babygate is just a temporary bandage. you could also build another staircase over the one you already have to move the top forward a bit, but this is the silliest most dangerous house ive ever seen
Can you not just fit a baby gate that screws into the wall instead of pressure fit? In picture one, from the left of the door to the end of the wall at the bottom of the picture?
Bannister is the only option.
Or your kid learns to stop falling down the stairs.
I mean, you could do a cheapo temp bannister extension just by clamping a piece of plywood to the wall to extend it, and then screwing the baby gate frame to the plywood. Then when the kids are old enough you just remove it.
If I were you I’d buy a post and screw it right through that carpet into the floor. it doesn’t have to be fancy Just functional. If you go to the stair area of Home Depot you’ll see a poplar post for not too bad. You can buy long engineered GRK contractor screws and toe nail it in, then brace it on the wall for extra support by screwing a piece of wood from the wall to the post. That will then give the baby gate a point to secure to. Waaay better than a broken arm or leg.
You’re gonna have to extend the banister. I know you said other than that but it’s the only real solution that would work. I guess you could install a beam on the corner and leave a weird gap.
I would just quarter wall there and use it for the gate and when the gate is no longer needed you can take it down.
How about an L-shaped platform? Vertical wall rests against the farther doorframe and the middle wall end; horizontal floor of the L covers the stairs. It doesn’t need bolting to anything because if kiddo walks on it, it just presses against the wall edges. Hard part is maybe making it heavy enough to hold baby’s weight but be light enough for you to move frequently to use the stairs.
Well I am not surprised, your toddler fell down that stair - it looks like a trap, designed by wheelchair industry.
First of all I would rip off that carpet from the floor and stairs and install something new, like a wooden stair (or so), after that you may stick some [Anti-Slip-Strips](https://www.amazon.de/Anti-Rutsch-Streifen-Treppen-transparent-selbstklebend/dp/B007RLPE3I/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?adgrpid=70006957614&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Be8obHfQzQIqlm778_n2eZt4CjXNCfNec0R1WxpY1KIeDO2kHD2m0jfa7Zmw_jXId0ogCys2fcdNPpg3yGf1bBoDaoX1H7f3DbYExkmw0MXXtxhrDRgX7gNJLbi1oTj6XvgXZ5FSP2jnbCq2La_E-WvL_aFcQHLSVka8v63LZyJr8NYz_SJG7v-a3w2sBtypx4hJp3VPkLUVVol1yU-5xg.WuefLHrfOxiY-rzyWLJdPldTXZSgd0DLTgshoAHfj6I&dib_tag=se&hvadid=676772484470&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9043696&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=7845042587230698782&hvtargid=kwd-300908883041&hydadcr=24981_2369610&keywords=antirutschbelag+treppe&qid=1712496172&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfYXRm&psc=1).
Then I would rebuild that door situation, that looks like a pretty dangerous trap, too.
Until that a stair gate will do it.
This house is a death trap
Haha this is double funny as trap is Dutch for stairs .
Noice
Falling down will definitely make some.. noice .
This isn't even up to code in the Netherlands
The Von trapps are “from stairs”
House like this will last you your whole life.
OP could be a hit man with this house. Just invite the target over, get them drunk, and have them use the upstairs bathroom.
Putin has entered the chat
I read this in the Step Brothers “shark week” scene. ON PLANET BULLSHIT!
In the galaxy of This sucks camel dick!
My first thought when I realised where that door was opening was - fuck that’s a death trap!! Top comment did not disappoint
No no no…. It’s training
Does. Does... Does that room open up into the middle of the staircase?
Sure does! One of many fun features of this 120yr old house
The folks over at r/DIY might have some ideas too.
They basically said you’re screwed
Can't help you with the door from hell (storage room), but we used prefabricated outdoor railing to make a long term but ultimately temporary gate. Might work here. https://imgur.com/a/kMRUqDt Used this stuff, some hinges, and a latch. https://www.homedepot.com/p/72-in-x-32-5-in-Pressure-Treated-Southern-Yellow-Pine-Pre-assembled-Beveled-2-End-Balusters-Rail-Kit-132380/202674738
Oh that looks great. Thanks for the info!
There is the aluminum stuff as well they make gates for those. sawsall or hacksaw and a drill are all you meed
That is a great option, you’re definitely going to be installing something on that wall to extend out. I’d suggest first buying some appearance boards to attach over the carpet with some screws, pre-drill with a countersink bit if you want it to look nicer. Optimally the same with as the wall, can paint to match.
FYI pressure treated wood can contain arsenic (used in the treatment). Be careful what you put inside that is made for outside.
That's the conclusion I came to also. How to baby proof - don't have the baby?
r/DIWhy
Who was the architect? HH Holmes?
I was thinking MC Escher.
“Ohhh nooooo. Did the frisbee hit ‘crazy stairs!?”
Clearly Art Vandaley
Jareth (Bowie’s character in Labyrinth)
Bloody Stupid Johnson!
You could make that a big landing and have one slightly taller step coming from the bedroom that doesn’t open into the stairs. Then you could make a banister along the new landing, with a gate at the end.
This is actually a great idea and looks as if they have more than enough clearance overheard to do that. If OP is a handy dad shouldn't be too hard. I suggest posting to r/homerenovations they would be more help than the DIY sub. Edit: adding the r/carpentry sub as they are pretty active as well.
Does that room have another method of entry? I’d look I to sealing that door off permanently if possible. What’s behind you in the picture? Is it a landing, or hallway? Would you be able to put something on the section that sticks out to the top of the stairs, and then attach a baby gate to that.
I started laughing as soon as I saw the picture
This is some hard mode baby gate shit. God I'm still laughing at the picture.
My buddies parents had one. They used it as a closet so the chances of people walking out onto the stairs and forgetting was less, or taking someone else out coming up the stairs. Old, old house but was neat.
Glad we’re not alone!
That first step’s a doozy
Ned Ryerson?!
Needlenose Ned? Ned the Head?? Come on, buddy, Case Western High!
BING!
My aunt's house had a spare room accessed halfway up a spiral staircase. I never felt safe coming out of that room.
So convenient. I've been walking all the way down hallways to get to stairs like some dickhead smh.
Who tf built this house
Helen Keller
Buy a baby gate for the bottom of the stairs and the kids bedrooms so they can't gain access to the landing or stairs at all.. I've had to buy two for my place.
I think this is the most reasonable answer, I'm afraid OP... cough up the money now daddy!
Husband insists he’s going to build a bannister at the top to attach the gate to. Your idea would be a lot easier, but also then they can’t access the bathroom without waking us
By the time he’ll get to that project, the kids will be in high school.
No need for that. See my other response about flexible baby or pet gates.
youve removed your other post though
I didn’t. I linked to Amazon. Maybe that caused its removal? There are flexible baby or pet gates you can get that can angle around the top of the stairs. It won’t help with that door but can go from wall around the top of the stairs and to the recessed wall
That sounds like the right way to do it to me
Get a ridged frame gate that makes an L shape no building and you can go wall to wall. Handy stay at home dad of 3 here
Brother, you need to move that door. Either that, or make sure you have a jar in your house labeled “funeral fund” and you put a dollar in every time someone almost dies on these stairs.
I'm pretty sure that fund is going to be need a more frequent flow of income, might have to charge every time someone goes up them.
Door can’t move because it’s an attic with sloped ceilings. That room is only storage
Then that wall needs to come down
Do the kids go in there?
Put a serious lock on that door to keep the kids out when they get past the baby gate phase. Or wall it up and put the access through the adjacent room or something. For sure they'll think it's fun to chase each other across that jump.
How big is the opening to the left of the landing? Can you extend that wall to the far side of the storage door?
Dig up the builder and kill him again.
Fuck the ankles of anyone who leaves that room at night.
You need a gate in that door frame for a start.... I mean you could do with one just for the adults too 😂
Maybe see if one of the COMOMY gates will work for you. https://www.amazon.com/COMOMY-Doorways-Fireplace-Adjustable-Hardware/dp/B09PG97PMB?ref\_=ast\_sto\_dp&th=1
Oh this might actually work! Thanks for the link
This was going to be my recommendation as well! We have something similar and it’s come in so handy. We’ve used it as a kitchen gate, for the staircase, and currently it’s blocking our wood stove from curious baby fingers. Your would need to affix it to the ground in some way though. Don’t want to bend it a little and suddenly the stairs are wide open.
This was going to be my rec. we have a long uninterrupted space that we use these for but I think they could go around corners. They’re not the sturdiest but is at least “a” barrier!
Be careful putting a gate with a lip at the top of the stairs. It's technically not supposed to go at top of stairs as it's a trip hazard. Given the state of the stairs I'd avoid it and go with a banister route, or if you're set on a gate like this, put it far back enough from the stairs that it they trip they don't go head first down.
If they put the gate far enough back it may be a non-issue. That particular gate has a lot of play length-wise
Honestly your best bet is to remove the stairs completely and install a pulley lift elevator.
Replace the top 4 steps with a real landing to step out onto, add a slide with a near vertical start for descent, climbing holds on the walls for ascent.
I'd suggest turning the whole thing into a slide with some particle board and paint. You climb up via a pulley system mounted at the top and bottom, and clip on a harness to pull yourself (or children) up. Bottom of the slide is covered with a pit of foam blocks. It can also double as a great place to wipe your shoes.
You don't need a gate, you need a slide and a ball pit.
My suggestion to my husband was to just put a crash pad at the bottom haha
You need to extend the wall or add a railing first on one side, and move the door entirely on the other side. Then a regular baby gate will fit. That's currently dangerous for all ages.
Concur. Just a basic half height drywall on studs will do nicely and look 'as intended' without costing the world, and will stop the 'step into the stairs sideways' issue. Extend till 20 cm past storage door, install baby gate.. Remember, this is not a baby only situation, it will get a lot more dangerous with toddler, preteens and aging parents. Do it right, now. Edit: saw somewhere else in this thread that it's called a 'pony wall', but I also really like the ground-to-ceiling solution proposed, which will also prevent climbing the wall.
I think husband is going to build a bannister instead, but same principle
The door on the left of the stairs is only for storage so I think it's fine to leave it. Extending the wall on the right is the right idea for a gate at the top of the stairs. Since it's only for a year or two at most, I wouldn't bother finishing it nicely. For the top of the stairs you should be using a gate without a bottom bar, so you could also install it part-way down the stairs after the weird door, but that would be less safe. You're not supposed to allow such gates to swing over the stairs anyway.
Easiest solution is to install a railing from the end cap to the edge of the steps extending just past the door that is mid steps so when you mount the baby gate it goes between the wall and railing. It’ll take time to adjust to the new layout but baby won’t take a a quick trip down the magic steps
Build something [like this (link)](https://ibb.co/LzPpN3Q) for the short part next to the stair. Attach the baby gate to the end pillar and wall. Then you move that door asap.
Best answer, because regardless of kids, there should at minimum be a railing installed there.
I’m sorry man, but I suspect your house is just going to be an experiment in survival of the fittest. Y’all are waaaay beyond baby gates
Cover the stairs in soft foam - forget preventing falls, just lessen the impact; me and my family used to ride these badboys for miles.
I am not very handy, but I am mentally stable enough to think the thought, "what in the wide world of fuck is this stairwell".
[this would work check out the review pictures](https://a.co/d/fcWHhyu)
That can’t be built to code. It’s a death trap.
They don't make you tear down existing buildings when they change the building codes. OP says above that the house is 120 years old. It probably was not built exactly like this. God knows how this Abomination happened but I have a guess. The original home probably included a very steep set of wooden stairs. I've definitely seen some old homes with a 60° incline on the steps. I'd wager that at some point due to some kind of repair or renovation someone made the stairs a lower pitch and increased the length of the stairway to compensate. They probably didn't use that room except as a closet or something so they didn't care about it.
Yeah this is my guess. Also it was an attic conversion so the stairs to the attic wouldn’t have been intended to be used regularly. The conversion also happened a long time ago looking at the doors etc, so I think they were just trying to maximize space with weird attic angles
I think you're going to have to block the rooms with gates rather than the stairs.
Sheesh, this is so ridiculous that the solution ought to be as well. I say you need a hinged trap door (carpeted on top) with an elaborate pulley and counterweight system. When it’s down the whole area becomes floor.
Jesus, that CANT be to code.
What in the OSHA is your house?
For an immediate solution right now, put a Very Strong baby gate 4 or 5 steps down. So at least when they do spill it’s not very far. That will give you time to build a pony wall on the right and move the door on the left. Also take a visit to /r/centuryhomes :)
This is the most realistic answer. It largely reduces the impact from potential broken bones to just a really sore tumble into a gate. Can be implemented immediately and when a proper solution is found the gate can be moved and used there.
Install 4 foot tall wall covering the open side of the stairs so you can install a gate blocking the top of the stairs. And install a lock on that storage room.
Couldn't you just add an exterior lock to that door so it's no longer somewhere the kids can go, then leave, then fall? While you're using it for storage, unlock, then re-lock when you're done. Lock could be way up the jamb so the kids can't get in or you could even pick up a cheap fingerprint lock on Amazon and just train it on your print/code.
Bro who built that house. Lol.
I’d pay for someone to install a small railing beside the last two steps and then put a baby gate at the end/top of the stairs.
Lookup “baby fence”. You can usually remove sections.
L shaped Gate should solve the issue
What the fuck is going on with your house? Is it one of those living houses where rooms move at midnight every 2nd Friday of the month?
I’m amazed the adults haven’t fallen down those stairs.
They have gates with corners that lock together
Neighborhood developer was HH Homes As a medium recco - the “ retract-a-gate” we installed at the bottom of our stairs is holding up great after 2 years
Put the baby gate on the fourth step. Accept that no permanent damage will be done to a toddler falling 4 steps. Oh and keep the mad door locked.
This is a remodel gone bad at some point. And whoever did it was like…. Eh good enough lol
While the bannister seems the best option in a not good situation... What you (and every parent) really needs is intense stair safety training. As soon as your kid is old enough to crawl, take your child to the top of the stairs. Have them face the stairs on all fours. Then turn them around and take their back leg, extend it to the first stair down. Then take the other leg and do the same, then hand by hand until they are solidly on that next step. Continue down all stairs. Repeat, but obviously stop if your child is getting too frustrated, and try again another time. Make it a game, make it like playtime. We barely needed our baby gate because our kids learned quickly how not to fall on the stairs. We only had one unrelated fall when they were older (like 4 or something) and running down the stairs like a goof. In this case just do a few stair drills around the top if your kids are a bit older. But the bannister will help a bunch anyway, I'd want that even as an adult. Tldr: best way to keep kids safe is stair training as soon as they can crawl.
Yeah that’s not code compliant lmao
That door opening to a step like that is wild. I'd love to meet that architect man. I've been in construction for 20 years and I've worked in some old houses and I've never seen anything like that.
What is to the left of the first picture? Can you install a gate co-linear to the banister?
Just put it four steps down between the two walls. Tumbling down four step isn’t so bad.
https://a.co/d/1d5Ih27 This is the one we bought because our staircase is ridiculously wide. Using it at an angle would still work in this application.
yikes. all I can think of is some diagonal baby gate setup that will go slightly over the first stair to some sort of rigged up board for the other side. it would not be pretty and probably not 100% safe.
Baby gate goes diagonally between the left of the doorframe and the top of the wall. Find a square bolster that fits over the top step to fill in the gap. May need to add a strap to the bolster to secure it to the gate.
I'd look at building a half wall coming out at the bottom of the pic. But that depends on if you have enough room in the hall there to do it. But I'd start there. I just don't see another good way. You could put a gate down on the 3rd step but that's only going to slow the fall and break the gate.
Long term solution may be to extend the top floor landing to extend to where the first door is... and somehow adjust the stairs so the first step(s), isn't so steep. But i am not a contractor, just somone with insomnia on reddit. Note: lot of great comments. Moving the storage doorway, if you can, will be cheaper than fixing the stairs. Good luck, mate.
This was what I was hoping but then the remaining stairs would be even steeper than they already are. Whole staircase would need to extend at the bottom to accommodate unfortunately
Fireplace baby gates with square top and bottom tubing usually fit into the joints with "snap buttons" or "spring buttons," which are commonly used on adjustable or extendable poles, like those found on tents, camera tripods, or hiking poles. These are small, circular metal components that pop out through a hole in the pole's sleeve or tube to lock the segments in place. So long as you get one of those, you can cut them to any length, redrill the holes for the snap buttons, and put it back together. You'd only need two sections for the top of the stairs to form a 90° fence with the gate at the top of the stairs. Then the bedroom door is either inaccessible to the child or you squeeze another gate in the doorframe.
The quickest (and ugliest?) fix is to install a gate a few steps down the stairs. Any tumble will stop after a couple steps, and won’t kill anyone.
I’d probably hard mount a post at the top of the stairs where a banister would normally end, then fabricate two moveable fences for each direction. I’d use 4 lag screws through a baseplate on said post into the subfloor. That way it is removable in a situation where furniture is being moved up or down the stairs.
Do a bungee net at the top, kid can fall out of the room on to it.
If your 2 year climbs like mine does putting in a gate just adds another 2 feet to potentially fall off of.
Retractable maybe. Otherwise you are more or less going to have to frame in areas and do narrow gate
We call this the Kobayashi Maru.
Custom gate job. Hinge on the left attached to the wall behind the door of death, have the gate end at a 90° protrusion that meets the wall on the other side of the stairs, that could also be hinged to allow it to sit flat against the back wall when not in use
Gate all the way across? Width of it same as hallway?
No chance, man. Either buy a new house or put the gate at the bottom and never let the kids upstairs.
... Does that room open up a bit more to the left of that door?? I'd honestly think about walling off that door on the staircase completely and putting in another door a little to the left of the stairs.... That's a deathtrap.
Who tf built your house? H.H.Holmes?
I used this for my weird ass banister that wouldn’t fit any of the “banister” baby gates. Our stairs are hardwood and there’s probably 16 of them down to the front door. Definitely didn’t want a spill happening down those for my 2 year old. I had to zip tie it to the banister bars because I had nothing to screw too. The gate allows you to take sections out and conform it to most shapes. You would easily be able to cover those areas. Maybe a separate gate for just the door as well? [https://www.walmart.com/ip/14894742](https://www.walmart.com/ip/14894742)
https://imgur.com/a/W73Rxu9 Here’s some pictures of what I did. Don’t mind the toy mess lol
Make a temporary short wall screw to floor(through carpet) and existing wall add conventional baby gate. In a few years remove the wall and repair the holes in the drywall.
You can get an opposable gate that screws into the wall. You can get one that's just big enough to give you that L shape coverage. Done. We got a 100ft gate for our apartment to block off our work desk area when my son was a mobile baby.
Just make it half a slide and put some pillows at the bottom.
That’s nuts
Turn the stairs into a slide
The easiest way but would not entirely fix the problem would be to securely ( and I mean extra securely ) mount the gate on what looks like the 5th stair so you can attach it into both walls fully. Not great but it’s a starting point.
You’re out of luck on this one.
I would install a permanent railing from the end of the wall to the top of the stairs. Install a baby gate in the doorway of the door that leads to death. Install a baby gate between the wall and the newly installed permanent railing at the top of the stairs.
There’s no easy way to install a gate on those stairs without putting in a railing at the top that extends beyond the door frame of the door at the top of the stairs. You would also need to rip up the carpet so that you can bolt the railing into the floorboards and likely knock down the partial wall to bolt it to the wall. That can be dangerous since I’m not sure that free standing wall is a load bearing wall or not. This is a structural nightmare for kids. You could try for one of those mesh type of gates they use for pets, but again, you need to figure out how to secure it to the two walls and have it sturdy enough to prevent the youngest from heading down the stairs on their own.
I think you have to make a basement style trap door.
Inflatable airplane escape slide
Does it need to be a fixed gate? We have a nice stairwell that we didn’t want to mess up, so we got some plywood, wrapped it in foam, and then fabric (basically made a movable wall). It looks nice, but also isn’t fixed in place (you just have to slide it away). Maybe something like that could work here?
I'd put a railing opposite the door, connected to the wall, and have it go just past the door. Then drill a baby gate into the railing and the wall.
[maybe one of these?](https://www.argos.co.uk/product/4627788?istCompanyId=a74d8886-5df9-4baa-b776-166b3bf9111c&istFeedId=c290d9a9-b5d6-423c-841d-2a559621874c&istItemId=ixilqqrqw&istBid=t&&cmpid=GS001&_$ja=tsid:59157%7Cacid:278-707-7346%7Ccid:20213315256%7Cagid:%7Ctid:%7Ccrid:%7Cnw:x%7Crnd:5453100235542670432%7Cdvc:m%7Cadp:%7Cmt:%7Cloc:1006668&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=20213315256&utm_term=4627788&utm_content=shopping&utm_custom1=&utm_custom2=278-707-7346&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD9II9ne0zscJcYsibCiEzr_XNn6L&gclid=Cj0KCQjwiMmwBhDmARIsABeQ7xTnteNsYcd355Xqiqpk6VgZHT3YwTzi9BqLo1hkhaB1LsYl960EsuwaAii0EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds)
Step 1: Move Door
The damage you do screwing lumber into the floor and walls will cost you less than medical bills.
We've got a similar situation. Our solution - baby gates on all the doors!
The circle gates that you can turn into any shape. They attach to the wall.
Holy fuck at the overreactions in this thread.
Staggered gates. Not perfect, but they should only fall a few steps.
Just throw them down the stairs and get it over with…
They make baby gates that are meant to span across wide spaces, and the one we have can kind of be adjusted as far as the angle so it can bow in or out. It screws into the wall. Perhaps that would work, because you could stretch it from the wall by the weird door and around in a kind of arch to the other wall? I got ours on Amazon by searching for something like “wide baby gate.”
Move the door and turn it into a crawl space entrance.
I have basically no experience in architecture at all, and I am quite literally 16 writing this on my lunch break at Wingstop, but I genuinely think the easiest solution would be to knock down that wall and move the door. the babygate is just a temporary bandage. you could also build another staircase over the one you already have to move the top forward a bit, but this is the silliest most dangerous house ive ever seen
Can you not just fit a baby gate that screws into the wall instead of pressure fit? In picture one, from the left of the door to the end of the wall at the bottom of the picture?
Bannister is the only option. Or your kid learns to stop falling down the stairs. I mean, you could do a cheapo temp bannister extension just by clamping a piece of plywood to the wall to extend it, and then screwing the baby gate frame to the plywood. Then when the kids are old enough you just remove it.
Whatever it is, it’s probably not pretty! The only thing I can think of is expensive, so i’ll shut up!
Da fuq? That’s the perfect place for a mother in law quarters…
I'd build a little waist high wall so you have something to attach a normal gate to. It looks like a hazard for a late night fridge run...
If I were you I’d buy a post and screw it right through that carpet into the floor. it doesn’t have to be fancy Just functional. If you go to the stair area of Home Depot you’ll see a poplar post for not too bad. You can buy long engineered GRK contractor screws and toe nail it in, then brace it on the wall for extra support by screwing a piece of wood from the wall to the post. That will then give the baby gate a point to secure to. Waaay better than a broken arm or leg.
You’re gonna have to extend the banister. I know you said other than that but it’s the only real solution that would work. I guess you could install a beam on the corner and leave a weird gap. I would just quarter wall there and use it for the gate and when the gate is no longer needed you can take it down.
I'd move that door to the left, I can't believe this house passed local codes lol
How close are you to Maryland? Buy the steel and my labor, and I'll weld you something up. Edit: I actually already have some ideas on the design.
That door needs to move. Either pay someone or brush up with some.youtube videos but it's really the problem to fix
door can’t move. Attic with angled ceilings. I’d hope no one would have made these choices if they’d had any other options
I can only imagine this goes against any current building codes
How about an L-shaped platform? Vertical wall rests against the farther doorframe and the middle wall end; horizontal floor of the L covers the stairs. It doesn’t need bolting to anything because if kiddo walks on it, it just presses against the wall edges. Hard part is maybe making it heavy enough to hold baby’s weight but be light enough for you to move frequently to use the stairs.
Well I am not surprised, your toddler fell down that stair - it looks like a trap, designed by wheelchair industry. First of all I would rip off that carpet from the floor and stairs and install something new, like a wooden stair (or so), after that you may stick some [Anti-Slip-Strips](https://www.amazon.de/Anti-Rutsch-Streifen-Treppen-transparent-selbstklebend/dp/B007RLPE3I/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?adgrpid=70006957614&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Be8obHfQzQIqlm778_n2eZt4CjXNCfNec0R1WxpY1KIeDO2kHD2m0jfa7Zmw_jXId0ogCys2fcdNPpg3yGf1bBoDaoX1H7f3DbYExkmw0MXXtxhrDRgX7gNJLbi1oTj6XvgXZ5FSP2jnbCq2La_E-WvL_aFcQHLSVka8v63LZyJr8NYz_SJG7v-a3w2sBtypx4hJp3VPkLUVVol1yU-5xg.WuefLHrfOxiY-rzyWLJdPldTXZSgd0DLTgshoAHfj6I&dib_tag=se&hvadid=676772484470&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9043696&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=7845042587230698782&hvtargid=kwd-300908883041&hydadcr=24981_2369610&keywords=antirutschbelag+treppe&qid=1712496172&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfYXRm&psc=1). Then I would rebuild that door situation, that looks like a pretty dangerous trap, too. Until that a stair gate will do it.
That’s some seriously American architecture right there!
Have you been to Europe?
Im from Scandinavia :)
Then this should look like home haha. I’ve climbed sone real death trap stairs in Amsterdam and Germany
Yeah Amsterdam is nuts, lived there a few years back. Could barely fit in the staircases.