WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT . . .
CHILDPROOFING DOORS
Doorways
are just as irresistible for young children. Since they lead to rooms, hallways,
closets, staircases, and the outdoors, a thorough safety check should involve
securing doors so your child will not have access to unsafe areas. This will
also prevent little fingers from being caught inside a door jamb or within the
hinges. Several products are designed specifically for this purpose, but in the
case of hinged doors, a simple solution to prevent finger pinching is to place a
towel over the top of the door so it will not close all the way.
Always
lock doors leading to the yard as well as those leading to staircases, storage
areas, workshops, cellars, garages, bathrooms, even closets since they often
contain unsafe items such as ties, belts, purses and plastic bags. You'll also
want to make sure that no door can be locked from the inside without being
opened from the outside so your child cannot get locked inside a room.
To
protect kids from the dangers of doors leading to cellars, garages and workshop
areas, an Automatic Door Closer is a wise investment since it will
"remember" to close the door behind you after you leave a room. Since
many laundry rooms are located in the cellar, this item can be a “must” to
help prevent an accidental stairway fall. Just keep in mind that this product
will only close, but not lock the door.
Example:
Door Closer
$14.95
Item # 326
Glass
doors can cause bumps and bruises and those in older homes may be more breakable
if the glass is not tempered. Try applying decals at your child's eye level if
necessary and make sure the glass is tempered or safety glass.
Be
sure to check all your door stops. Most homes have two-piece door stops. These
have a rubber cap which can be removed by a child and presents a choking hazard.
Replace them with one-piece style door stops that easily screw into baseboards.
Example:
TYPES AND STYLES OF DOOR SAFETY
PRODUCTS
Safety Products for Hinged
Doors
Many
different products help minimize the dangers of hinged-style doors. Some hook
over the top or side of doors to prevent doors from being shut and pinching
fingers. Others hold the door open to help prevent injury from swinging doors.
Examples:
Door Positioner, 2 pk.
$9.98
Item # 5140-2
More
often, parents will want to insure that doors are kept closed, and a variety of
products will prevent children from opening doors but will allow adult access. A
Doorknob Cover fits over a standard style doorknob and does not allow the
doorknob to turn in the usual manner. An adult must tightly grip the cover over
two points, while turning the doorknob to open the door. Some Doorknob Covers
easily install with a hinged design while others may be more difficult to
install and use.
Example:
Doorknob Cover, 4 pk.
$5.98
Item # 6382-2
Door
Latches also keep hinged doors closed. Some mount at the top of the door keeping
them out of your child’s reach and also making them less noticeable. Some
styles mount on the sides of doors and are better suited for doors which are too
high for adults to reach or doors that you want older siblings to be able to
open.
Examples:
SEE ITEM 2006
$9.98
Item # 2001-2
Flip Lock, 2 pk.
$7.98
Item # 2002-2
Safety Products for Bi-Fold
Doors and Sliding Doors
These
locks are designed for non-hinge-style doors such as bi-fold doors and sliding
glass doors. Bi-Fold Door Locks slide over the top hinged area of bi-fold doors
to keep them closed.. Sliding Door Stops have suction cups that secure to
sliding glass doors to keep them tightly closed. These items can also be used to
keep the door opened to a desired position during summer months.
Examples:
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