How to Mount a Baby Gate onto Molding
You can safely mount a baby gate onto molding with the provided hardware and a few common tools. Baby gates are designed to create a secure perimeter and block a hallway or home passageway. Molding presents an additional challenge when mounting a baby gate, as it protrudes from the wall, slightly altering the dimensions of the opening. Mounted baby gates typically come with hardware that can be adjusted to fit this uneven space.
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Extend the baby gate until it barely fits into the passageway. Hold it in the position you want it mounted.
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Mark the walls and molding lightly with a pencil where the sides of the gate meet with the sides of the passageway. Collapse and remove the baby gate. Screw the provided mounting hardware into place on the pencil marks.
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Reposition the baby gate to line up with the installed mounting hardware. Adjust the individual rubberized bumpers at the corners of the gate until they reach the walls, if no mounting hardware was provided.
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Measure the gaps between the sides of the baby gate and the walls, if there are any. Install spacers from a baby-gate accessories kit to fill the open spaces. Most gate spacers are designed to attach directly to the wall and have the mounting hardware screwed into them.
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Test the security of the gate by pushing it forward with approximately 25 lbs. of pressure. Make adjustments to the length of the gate, bumpers or spacers until the fit is snug enough to withstand the pressure.
References
Tips
- Some floor molding can be avoided altogether by raising the height of the bottom of the gate to just above the top of the molding. This may create a 1- or 2-inch open gap at the bottom of the gate.
Warnings
- Baby gates are not a replacement for child supervision.
Writer Bio
Jeffrey Brian Airman is a writer, musician and food blogger. A 15-year veteran of the restaurant industry, Airman has used his experience to cover food, restaurants, cooking and do-it-yourself projects. Airman also studied nursing at San Diego State University.
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