How to Childproof Balcony Railings

Balcony railings are considered one of the most dangerous places in your home for little children. Hard balcony railings can cause injury to your children such as bruises or even worse. An unprotected balcony is one of the most common culprits of children falling down with catastrophic accidents. Now, how do you childproof balcony railings? One of the best ways to childproof your balcony railings is to install a fence-like railing to prevent your small children from squeezing through the railings. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to childproof balcony railings.

Step 1 - Measure the Width of Your Balcony

Measure the width of your balcony by using a tape measure. This step is necessary so that you will be able to know the exact dimension of plastic fencing that you are going to buy and install in your balcony railings. On the other hand, when you shop for plastic fencing, make sure that you buy fencing that has pieces no more than 4 inches apart from one another, otherwise your child will still be able to slip through the railings of your balcony.

Step 2 - Attach the Plastic Fencing to Your Balcony Railings

The next thing to do once you have the plastic fencing is to attach the structure to your balcony railings. To do this, use a drill and drill bit to put holes on the edges of the plastic fencing. This is necessary since the holes will be used as the point where the fences will be attached to the balcony railings.

Step 3 - Install the Plastic Fences to the Railings

Using a screwdriver, drive a screw on each hole that you have made to connect the plastic fence and the railing. Make sure that the screws are attached to the railings firmly in place so that the fence will not easily get dislodged by the children. Make sure that you adjust the fences so that the distance between one fence to the other is no more than 4 inches.

Step 4 - Cover the Open Areas with Hard Plastic Cover

When you install the fences to the railing, there will be areas on the fences that are still too wide. For this reason, it is important that you cover the open areas with a hard plastic sheet to minimize the open spaces on the railing.

Step 5 - Reinforce the Railing with Deck Netting

Tie a sturdy deck netting on the balcony in order to reinforce the hard plastic cover and to make sure that your child will have a lesser chance of going through the railings and risking their lives out of it. To secure the netting to the sides of the balcony, thread the netting through the railing using a durable cord.