How To Babyproof Fireplace

With its bright and colorful flickering flames encouraging them to investigate, the fireplace is a great wonder for most babies and small children.

While the work of baby proofing may appear simple, there are numerous dangers involved and nuances that are easy to ignore.

So, how would you perfectly baby-proof your fireplace while maintaining the aesthetic of your space?

In this article, we'll explore the very best baby proofing solutions for your fireplace, as well as the hearth and other helpful tips to keeping your little ones safe at home.

Before You Start

Baby proofing your fireplace entails more than just trying to keep your child away from the fire. It is also critical to protect your child from nearby dangers.

While you may believe that purchasing a child-proof fireplace screen is all you really need to protect your baby, there are a couple of extra measures that must be followed to truly make it really baby-proof.

To start, you must evaluate it at your child's level. Notwithstanding your best efforts to protect all of your bases, children can and definitely will get through your barriers, which could result in injury.

You'd be shocked by just how many accidents have arisen even now in "baby-proofed" homes wherein families may have neglected a minor element.

As a result, it's always best to put yourself in your child's shoes and try to think like a baby. You can do this by crawling down on your hands and knees to investigate and baby-proof all potentially dangerous spots in the home.

Rough surface edges, nails protruding from the doors, or imperfections that could cause scratching or pinching are all possibilities.

Evaluate and improve your baby-proofing approach in all potential scenarios. While this will not totally protect your baby from harm, it will definitely reduce the risk.

Limit access to the fire and the area surrounding it as much as necessary. The safest bet against such a fire accident is avoidance. It's simple: if your infant can't reach it, there's no danger of harm.

Although some families would prefer to totally block access to the sitting room by locking the door, this is a privilege that not all families have.

In such cases, a fire barrier for baby proofing is an excellent solution to keep them at bay. You could use the gateways to restrict your baby to one side of the sitting room by blocking the area around the fire.

Step 1 - The Hearth

Rubber or foam tube shields are your baby's best friend when it comes to keeping them away from jagged corners throughout the home. You'll still need adhesive to secure them to the hearth's borders.

Corner-specific foam liners are also an excellent choice. To reduce dangers, keep all exterior surfaces wrapped with something softer.

A smooth fireplace is simplest to baby proof because it is practically parallel with the ground and will not require any padding. The easiest approach is to wrap it with a plush pad so that the imperfections are hidden and your children may walk over it without trouble.

Nevertheless, you must uninstall it when using the fire because it can constitute a risk of fire. Fireplace shields are also an excellent choice if you want to conceal the entire portion, such as the hearth.

You won't need a pad when installing a screen because the hearth is contained within the screen.

Step 2 - Fire Doors

Fireplace doors don't have to be made to be suitable for small children because their major role is to keep the fireplace shut. You may get door styles that are especially safe and babyproof if you hunt them down specifically.

If you currently have an unsafe fire door, look to replace it, particularly if the sharp corners cannot be cushioned.

Keeping your toddler away from the fireplace door is the best method to protect them from the dangers a fireplace poses. Metal fire screens and child barriers are great fireplace guards for babies since they keep it closed and entirely out of grasp.

While fireplace guards are a security measure, they will not prevent your youngster from accessing the hot door after it has been used. As a result, when it is turned on, it is preferable to use screens or gates.

Whenever the fire is not being used, the door must be shut and locked to prevent your baby from climbing in. But, closing the door with a fire burning is not recommended because you and your family could be vulnerable to carbon monoxide.

The simplest technique to baby proof a three-sided fireplace is to connect several pieces of baby gates to form a barrier around the perimeter. This might demand some more gate width, so consider purchasing a really long baby gate.

The issue would be to fasten the fence to the walls so that your youngster cannot get inside.

Step 3 - Carbon Monoxide Protection

If there is a lack of sufficient airflow in a space, carbon monoxide accumulates quickly. As a result, check that there is a natural movement of air in the room and that the smoke is fully transported out by the chimney.

Keep the chimney clean to allow the charred gases to flow freely. Carefully clear any obstructions inside your chimney prior ro lighting a fire.

To create a clear ventilation in the sitting room, make absolutely sure there is proper ventilation flowing through the air vents or that a window is open.

Carbon monoxide can be dangerous in large amounts, so it's critical to have a sensor that can alert you when the gas is present.

Carbon monoxide detectors include some detection features too, making them excellent safety equipment for ensuring your children's entire safety while they're in the home.

Move your children outside and dial 911 if the carbon monoxide alarm sounds.

Final Thoughts

A childproof fireplace should theoretically prevent your kid from approaching the fire and being vulnerable to the jagged edges, corners, and elevated features. Most fireplaces can be childproofed with baby gates and screens, as well as hearth mats for added protection.