Making a spiral staircase safe for children in your home

Spiral staircases are often a treasured architectural detail used in older homes. Initially used to save space, these structures are now often chosen for their beauty and grace, lending a lovely old fashioned element to the design of a home. 

Of course, walking on spiral staircases can be somewhat difficult. Because of their unusual dimensions and compact size, even graceful adults tend to go more slowly on this type of structure, worrying about what would happen if they fell. For new parents, the presence of a staircase like this can be a genuine concern, as they will often fear that an unattended child will take a tumble and become seriously injured. 

But, as with any staircase, child safety is just a matter of making sure that you have taken the right precautions. Make sure that you explain to your little one that they shouldn't attempt to go upstairs or down without your help, since the steps can be dangerous. Then make sure that you find a secure child stair gate, and that your family is vigilant about keeping it closed. 

Rather than installing the gate directly on to your stair parts, it is generally recommended that parents instead place the gate across the entire available space, screwing it into the walls on either side. This will help to block any gaps that might be on either side of the structure that a curious child could squeeze through and fall down. 

There are a number of baby proofing products that have been specifically designed for this purpose, so if you do your research, you should be all set.