Childproofing can easily turn into an obsession for parents and caregivers from they hear the news of a newborn joining the family and much more so when the baby starts to gain more mobility. There’s no guessing why childproofing a home is a must, for what looks like harmless items around the house can pose threats to your little ones. Even a non-threatening object like a sliding glass door can endanger your child when the youngster starts playing with it, and bangs or slams it. We can list several things that can go wrong with a toddler and a sliding glass door combo, but one thing’s certain, you can prevent accidents by childproofing this fixture. Here are ways on how to child proof a sliding glass door that you can do at home, and on your own with simple devices.
Serious Injuries from Doors Accidents
According to experts, the third leading cause of finger and hand injuries among children are accidents involving doors. A staggering 30,000 children meet finger-trapping accidents each year, and surgeons warn of potential lifelong consequences for children who had their fingers crushed by closing and slamming doors. To some, the repercussions can go so bad it will require a finger amputation and a lifetime of pain. On top of that, fingertip injury can also diminish hand strength by 20% and becomes a potential deterrent for people from pursuing a particular career path.
Door accidents are not the only hazard that children may encounter when they’re able to operate doors. Children also become prone to access off-limit areas such as storages of chemicals, sharps, and other detrimental objects. They can even meet fall accidents. They can also start to get out of your house and into the pool area, or onto the streets without you knowing. These are potential risks for your child that can easily be averted with the right tools.
And thus, to prevent such a troublesome outcome, parents have to fit safety catches to prevent kids from opening doors when they aren’t watching. In the following sections, we’ll walk you through the process of how to childproof a sliding glass door.
Sliding Door Childproofing Devices
There are different devices a parent can employ to prevent door accidents at home. Some tools are made explicitly to childproof doors. Meanwhile, other devices weren’t intentionally designed for doors but surprisingly worked well for the purpose.
Sliding Door Custom-made Locking Device
This lock primarily prevents your child from opening your door and is installed in addition to a regular door lock. When your child starts to grow a bit, it can be easy for them to reach the regular lock, but this type of lock can be installed higher to prevent kids from reaching it. With this tool, you can rest assured your child is safe from door accidents and, at the same time, will prevent them from gaining access to areas of potential hazards. Aside from doors, it can also be installed in cabinets with sliding doors such as the medicine cabinet and chemical storage.
How to child proof a sliding glass door using these devices?
- Different devices work differently. Read the manufacturer’s guide to install them properly. However, the more popular brands are known to work in a breeze. There are no drilling and screwing required, which is excellent as anyone can install it without difficulties. Here’s how most of these devices work.
- Many of these sliding door locks are in one piece and require no keys to open or lock. Sliding door locking devices usually come with a 3M adhesive at the back. Peel off the covering and stick it on the upper edge of the fixed side where it overlaps with the sliding door. It takes just a few moments and does not need the help of a handyman.
- To lock, simply flip the locking mechanism, to unlock, press down on it, and the door will get through and open.
Childproofing Sliding Door through a Shower Rod
When the child is tall enough to access the latch and clever enough to remove the pin in the hole at the bottom of the sliding glass door, you know it’s time to challenge yourself to be more imaginative in your childproofing schemes. As mentioned earlier, other household devices also work perfectly in childproofing sliding doors, like the tension shower rod.
What’s great about using a tension rod is that it does not involve drilling and screwing and does not damage the door. It leaves behind no scrapes and scratches for as long as the ends of the rod are padded. Also, you don’t have to deal with the annoying sticky remnants from 3M adhesives.
How to child proof a sliding glass door using a shower rod?
- Position the rod in between the sliding glass door and the corner of the fixed portion of the door.
- Turn the movable part of the rod towards the door to tighten it.
- To unlock, turn the rod towards you, and it will loosen and easily detaches.
Conclusion
When it comes to the safety of your kids, one can never be too complacent. Because it’s understandable that parents simply can’t keep their eyes on the babies all the time, they can always turn to childproofing devices for help. With the right tool, you can rest assured your child is safe and secured in your home, even as you are busily engaged in chores. With this guide on how to child proof a sliding glass door, we hope to contribute to your child’s safety. Get more tips on childproofing.