Child-proofing Windows
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Safety and Childproofing > Child-proofing Windows
Sept 2003
Does anyone have ideas on windowguards or other related
products. Our 1 year old will soon be walking and have easy
access to bedroom and other windows in our house.
Where do you buy these items? Which brands work best?
What have you done to protect your child under similar
circumstances? Are there other ways to keep children safely away
from windows?
Thanks in advance for any and all thoughts and comments.
Jim
We got these little brass window ''locks'' that you can place at
any height you like so that the windows cannot open beyond that
height. We set them so that the windows only open about 4-5
inches. We got them at Home Depot but I'm sure almost any
hardware store would carry them. If the house needs cooling,
we just adjust the locks and open the windows higher after our
toddler's asleep.
Safe Mama
April 2002
We have a number of glass windows in our house that are not safety glass. I heard that
there might be an alternative to replacing them all that would help with safety as well as
energy efficiency by coating them with a clear polymer film. Does anyone know if this is
true and, if so, what company might sell or apply them ?
boering
Tap Plastics in El Cerrito sells safety and UV film for windows. Both
products prevent glass shards from flying in case of breakage, and
depending on which product you get they also prevent UV damage and
reduce heat gain/loss in a room. Its the same type of product that is
used to tint auto windows, and it comes in 36'' and 48'' widths. A 100
ft roll of the 36'' variety was quoted to me as costing $295 so its
not cheap and I think installation requires some level of ability as a
handyperson.
El Cerrito Store Location
10760 San Pablo Avenue
El Cerrito CA 94530
Open: Mon-Fri 8 to 6, Sat 9 to 5.
510.525.3508 (tel)
http://www.tapplastics.com/plastics/plasticsinfo/window.html
Ed
March 2003
We are buying a house which has two stories. We currently live in a one-story
home. So now I'm very concerned about the safety issues of the upstairs. My
daughter's bedroom will have two windows, one fairly wide and one more a
regular size. How do we childproof that so she can't fall out? Also, what about
fire safety? I've heard about rope ladders or somesuch...?
Nervous about the second floor
The Childproofer did great work for us. Marc, the owner,
put short chains with a hook on our upstairs windows and on
our french door windows downstairs. The chains allow the
windows to open just a few inches, but not enough for a
child to get through. (It is possible to bypass the chain
by unhooking it.) In our son's room, we have three windows
above a window seat; the risk seemed especially high so
Marc put removable baby gates in each window to allow the
air to pass through but to keep the baby inside. We have
been extremely happy with the work and highly recommend the
Childproofer. The number is (800) 374-2525.
Jen F.
March 2002
Can anyone suggest a product or solution to babyproof floor to ceiling
windows? The window opens by swinging out, with the latch located
half way up the window. Is there a type of screen or net? Where can
I find these? Half of the rooms in our home have these windows, which
my daughter can pull up to. I am unable to open the windows on these
nice days. Suggestions are appreciated! Thank you.
It is a current code that windows that go to the floor
(18'' or less from the floor) must be tempered glass. All
glass in doors must be tempered. This does not mean
unbreakable, but it does mean shatterproof. You can get
tempered glass from any glass shop and get it installed.
I would start there as any gate, screen etc you could put
in front of it (barring plywood perhaps) might still suffer
the impact of ball or head and shatter. You can tell if
your current glass is tempered as tempered glass is
required to have '' identification etched or ceramic fired
on the glass'' has a small emblem in the corner of a pane
in white ink. Call a window shop that comes to your
house if uncertain.
Dorrice , MA Architecture
Yes, you can safely open your windows again. Rachel
from Safe and Sound Children (great, by the way) sold
us wire pieces that are screwed into the window and the
frame. When opened, the window only goes a few inches
(she measured the right amount per each window).
They are great. In case of fire, you can unscrew them
quickly. I've seen these used with house alarm systems
too in which the alarm only goes off if the window is
opened further than the alotted few inches. Jen
I have a living room filled with the same type of floor to
ceiling windows that open by swinging out. I bought
chains that are commonly found on front doors (deadbolt
chains?) and screwed them into each window -- near the
top where they can't be reached. Now each window only
opens a little bit (enough to let in a nice breeze), but it's
much safer. Be sure to use screws not nails when
attaching the hardware if you decide to use this
technique. Good luck!
Sharon
We have a similar situation in our home. You can install heavy duty
plexiglass across the bottom portion of the windows, or hire one of those
"babyproofing" companies you see advertised in Parent's Press, etc. We
found
a more asthetically pleasing alternative by buying strong brass chain at the
hardware store, and screwing one end into the window frame and the other end
into the window border. Therefore, you can only open the windows a few
inches
and baby can't fall out. You can do this from the inside, but we installed
the chain on the outside, so you can't see the chain unless the window is
open.
Good luck
Kim
We lived in a house with windows that swung out and were very close to the
floor. I
purchased plexiglass, I think it was 1/8 or 3/16'' thick and screwed them
across the window
opening.
I usually positioned it to be high enough that climbing would not be
possible, though my girls
never tried. And measured to have it cut it so that there would be air flow
through the bottom
but not enough space for heads to try and fit through.
I purchased the plexiglass from TAP plastic in El Cerrito where they also
cut it to size for me.
They will probably drill or cut additional air holes if you'd like.
I used this for the rail at the top of the stairs as well and secured it
with plastic ties.
Hope this helps.
Lapidus family
The window in our kids' room is very large, about 93" wide, and starts
only 2 feet off the ground. Our kids' mattresses are on the floor now,
but we'd like to put them in beds soon. The problem is that they love to
jump on the beds (of course) and there isn't anywhere in the room to put
the beds that isn't next to the window (one wall is closets, one wall is
the window).
Does anyone have suggestions for childproofing that window so our active
boys won't jump on the beds and go right out the window? We don't want to
use shutters because they block out the light. Right now we have a shade
we can't even lower because the kids play with it --they've already ruined
the previous shade.
We're thinking of shoji screens (!) because they let in the light and
block (we hope) small flying bodies. But is there a simpler, less
expensive solution?
Thanks in advance!
Corliss
We childproofed a smaller window (next to my child's bed) by using a large
piece of pexiglass attached to the window frame with velcro straps. This was
the brilliant idea of Rachel Murray of Safe-n-Sound Children childproofing
service. She cut the pexiglass and installed it. I highly recommend her.
Jen
We mounted folding child gates on our large low windows when our son was
learning to walk and they're still there 6+ years later. You can mount them
inside the window frame and then they don't interfere with shades, etc.
They're not beautiful but they're functional.
A problem with shoji screens is that even if the frame stands up to your kid,
the ricepaper will be assaulted on a daily basis.
Fran
A friend of mine just showed me what they did - they had a window next to a
bed that their children jump on, and they replaced the glass with plexiglass.
Suzanne
Have you thought of screwing in some plexiglass on the inside.
Might be a bit price to cover the whole window but possibly strips across.
Advantage is that you will still be able to see out and have light come in. We
did this on a smaller window in our boys room when a 9-yr-old friend broke the
window with his body while playing in the top bunk (he was fortunately not injured).
Kathleen
Tap Plastics (there's one in El Cerrito) sells an easy to install clear
film for windows. It makes the window into safety glass, which is good
for protecting rambunctious children and also for earthquake safety.
Just an idea, not speaking from experience, here -- Perhaps you could get a large sheet
of thick plexiglass and install it across the lower half of the window? It can have holes
drilled in it (perhaps a hardware store or glass supply place would do this for you with
the right tools to avoid cracking and ruining your piece) and be screwed to the windowframe.
You'd have safety without any loss of light, and if the plexiglass covered the whole window,
you'd get the added benefit of effectively double-glazing for insulation, too.
Nicole
I saw a window in a kid's room childproofed with clear plastic covering
the lower portion of the window. I hear this is often done in NY City.
Clear plastic can be bent and molded--you could make a space for your
hands to reach down and open & shut the window. Have a contractor take
measurements and come up with a design and Tap Plastics in El Cerrito will
cut & bend the plastic to that shape. (This is how I child proofed a deck
with a railing a child could have used as a ladder).
Xanthippe
From: Bob
We bought a plastic laminate film from TAP Plastics for installation on
windows. It won't keep windows from getting broken/cracked, but if an
accident occurs the glass should be held in place by the film. You can buy
it in either clear or tinted.
We found an easy, inexpensive solution to this
problem that worked in our house. We have a
second story living room with tall windows that
opened close to the floor. They had old metal
frames (not aluminum, probably iron, I guess).
What I did was to get some plexiglas from TAP
plastics cut to a size that would fit half of the
window. I attached the plexiglas to the frames
with a good silicone glue. The windows could
still open and we could get fresh air from the
top half of he window. This lasted quite a while
even with kids pulling hard on the plexiglas. It
seemed pretty safe, because if a child did put
all his weight on the plexiglas and actually
managed to separate it from the frame, he would
fall backwards into the room. We reglued the
plexiglass once before we eventually removed it
(when we had the windows replaced with a crank
open type that seems safer).
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