I am trying to secure the top of my staircase from my crawling baby. I want a gate with no threshold (i.e the whole thing swings freely) so no one will trip over it and fall down the stairs. I also want a gate that self-closes so I don't have to worry about my older children forgetting to close it.
I can't seem to find any commercial baby gate that has both of these features. If I buy a threshold-free gate, what can I add to make it self-close? Would it make a difference if it's wood or metal? We bought a spring self-closer gizmo that works for a light door, but I don't think it would work for a gate.
Best Answer
If you fit it not quite vertical, i.e. the hinges not quite one above the other, it will swing shut.
You could also use the system used on many farm gates in the UK. Tie a loose string between a point on the gate slightly away from the hinge and a fixed point on the stair side (e.g. hand rail as long as it's on the same side as the hinge). If you then tie a heavy object to the middle of this string, it will pull the gate closed.
A web search for "gate closer" also gives a range of options including a spring that could be fitted to a baby gate with a little creativity.
The baby gates I'm familiar with all require a deliberate action to lock them shut, usually by pulling down a handle. Neither of the suggestions above would work with such gates so you would need to find a gate that locks itself.