Living in a high-rise apartment brings unique challenges, especially when you have young children. Their natural curiosity and love of exploration can lead them into potentially dangerous situations. Balconies, in particular, can pose significant risks if not properly secured.
Falls from balconies are a serious concern, and as a parent, it’s essential to ensure your balcony is as safe as possible. This guide provides comprehensive steps to childproof your high-rise balcony and create a safer environment for your little ones.
Let’s get straight to the point.
Childproofing your high-rise balcony prevents accidents and ensures your children’s safety. Key steps include installing invisible grilles or glass enclosures for fall protection without obstructing the view and using outdoor blinds for weather protection.
Adding safety nets, vertical slats, or spindles to your railing can secure the area while ensuring high railings are solid enough to prevent climbing. Remove climbable furniture, install safety locks and latches on doors, and consider adding a door alarm for extra security.
Regular inspections and maintenance will keep all safety measures effective and reliable.
Install Invisible Grilles For Balcony Safety
Installing invisible grilles is one of the most effective ways to secure your balcony without sacrificing the view. These grilles are made from thin, durable wires that stretch across the balcony’s open areas to prevent children from falling.
- Customisable Options: Invisible grilles can be tailored to fit your balcony’s exact size and shape, ensuring a perfect fit for every home.
- Portable Versions Available: Portable versions of invisible grilles offer a temporary solution that can be easily installed and removed for families living in rented apartments.
- Durable Material: These grilles are typically made from stainless steel, making them weather-resistant and highly durable.
Although invisible grilles are excellent for child safety, they are unsuitable as a security feature against break-ins, as the wires can be cut with tools. Nevertheless, they are ideal for parents who want to ensure their children’s safety on the balcony without obstructing the view.
Glass Enclosures For All-Weather Balcony Use
Another excellent option for securing your balcony is installing a glass enclosure. This system allows you to fully enclose the balcony, protecting children from falls while providing shelter from the elements.
- Retractable Design: Glass enclosures can be opened or closed as needed, allowing you to enjoy the outdoor space in all weather conditions. You can keep it closed for maximum safety or partially for fresh air.
- Weather Protection: These enclosures are designed to keep out rain and reduce noise from outside, making your balcony a comfortable space throughout the year.
- Child Safety: Fully enclosing the balcony with glass panels eliminates the risk of falls, while the frameless design provides an uninterrupted view of the outside world.
This type of solution is particularly beneficial for families who want to transform their balcony into a usable space year-round while ensuring the safety of their children.
Install Outdoor Blinds For Added Protection
Outdoor blinds offer an additional layer of protection by acting as a barrier between your balcony and the external environment. They can help shield your family from wind, rain, and direct sunlight while also providing privacy.
- Track-Guided Mechanism: Some outdoor blinds feature a track-guided system that allows easy adjustment of the blind’s height. This makes it simple to control the amount of ventilation and protection the blinds provide.
- Weather Resistance: Outdoor blinds are designed to withstand strong winds and heavy rain, ensuring they remain stable even in harsh weather conditions.
- Secure Locking System: Many outdoor blind systems include a locking mechanism that keeps the blinds in place, providing extra security when they are fully lowered.
By installing outdoor blinds, you can create a safe and comfortable balcony environment for your children while enjoying the additional benefits of weather protection and privacy.
Use Safety Nets To Secure Your Balcony
A safety net is a simple and cost-effective method of securing your balcony. These nets stretch across open areas, preventing children from accidentally falling off.
- Affordable Option: Safety nets are widely available at hardware stores and can be easily installed by homeowners. They are an inexpensive way to make your balcony safer for children.
- Pest Protection: Safety nets can keep children safe and help prevent birds and insects from entering your balcony area.
While safety nets are effective at preventing falls, there may be more visually appealing options, and they require regular inspection to ensure they remain secure. Nonetheless, they provide peace of mind for parents who want a quick and affordable solution to balcony safety.
Add Vertical Slats Or Spindles To Your Railing
Balcony railings often have gaps that can pose a risk to children. Adding vertical slats or spindles can fill in these gaps and prevent children from squeezing through or climbing over the railing.
- Close Gaps: Any gap larger than 4 inches should be filled in to prevent children from getting their heads or bodies stuck between the railing bars.
- Remove Climbable Furniture: It’s important to remove any furniture or decor that children might use to climb the railing. Keep the balcony clear of items that could be used as stepping stones.
- Lock the Balcony Door: Always lock the balcony door when not in use. This simple measure can prevent unsupervised children from accessing the balcony.
By making these adjustments, you can significantly reduce the risk of falls and accidents on your balcony.
Strengthen And Heighten Balcony Railings
If your balcony railings are too low or have large gaps, consider replacing them with safer alternatives. Higher railings provide an additional layer of protection by making it more difficult for children to climb over.
- Install Higher Railings: Ensure that your balcony railings are at least 1.1 metres high, the recommended height for preventing falls.
- Solid Barriers: Consider using solid materials such as glass or concrete to create a barrier children cannot climb or crawl through. Solid barriers are particularly effective at preventing accidents.
Another option is to use plexiglass shields, which allow for visibility while providing a safe barrier children cannot climb.
Install Safety Mesh For Additional Security
A safety mesh is a simple yet effective way to childproof your balcony. It can be installed over the existing railing to prevent children from slipping through the gaps or climbing over.
- Durable and Long-Lasting: Safety meshes are available in wire and plastic varieties and can be installed easily over your existing railing. They are durable and weather-resistant, making them a great long-term solution.
- Toy Protection: Installing mesh can also prevent toys and other small objects from falling off the balcony, reducing the risk of accidents.
Safety mesh is an inexpensive and straightforward solution that offers additional protection for children without requiring major modifications to your balcony.
Remove Climbable Furniture And Objects
Outdoor furniture, such as tables and chairs, can be used by children as stepping stones to climb onto balcony railings. To reduce the risk of falls, it is important to remove or reposition these items.
- Clear the Balcony: Ensure your balcony is free from any objects children could use to climb onto the railing. This includes furniture, plant pots, boxes, and toys.
- Supervision is Key: Even after removing climbable objects, it’s essential to supervise young children whenever they are on the balcony to prevent accidents.
Keeping your balcony clear of furniture and other objects can reduce the risk of children climbing the railing and falling.
Install Safety Locks And Latches On Balcony Doors
Even if your balcony is childproof, children can still gain access if the door is unlocked. Installing safety locks and latches on your balcony doors is essential to prevent unsupervised access.
- Install Childproof Locks: Place a lock or latch on the balcony door that is out of reach of young children. Adding a secondary latch can provide additional security even if the door has a built-in lock.
- Regularly Check Locks: Ensure that the lock is always engaged when the balcony is not in use, and remind other family members to check the door before leaving the area.
You can prevent children from accessing the balcony without supervision by installing locks and latches.
Install A Door Alarm For Extra Security
A door alarm is useful for any home, particularly for families with young children. The alarm will notify you whenever the balcony door is opened, providing an extra layer of security.
- Prevent Unsupervised Access: A door alarm helps prevent children from sneaking onto the balcony when you’re not looking.
- Additional Home Security: A door alarm can enhance overall home security by alerting you to unauthorised access, in addition to balcony safety.
While a door alarm may require an initial investment, it provides peace of mind by ensuring that children cannot access the balcony without your knowledge.
Maintain Regular Safety Checks
Once you’ve childproofed your balcony, it’s important to conduct regular safety checks to ensure that all safety measures remain intact.
- Inspect Railings and Barriers: Regularly check that the railings, barriers, and safety nets are securely in place and free from any damage.
- Monitor for Wear and Tear: Outdoor blinds, locks, and other safety installations can wear over time due to exposure to weather. Ensure that all safety features are well-maintained and functioning properly.
By performing routine inspections, you can ensure your balcony remains safe for your children to play.
Conclusion
Making your high-rise balcony safe for children is a matter of ensuring structural integrity and implementing practical safety measures. Each step plays a critical role in preventing accidents, from installing invisible grilles, glass enclosures, and safety nets to removing climbable furniture and installing childproof locks.
By following these guidelines, you can create a safer balcony environment where your children can play and explore without the risk of injury. Regular maintenance and supervision are also essential to keep your balcony secure over time, giving you peace of mind that your home is a safe space for your family.
FAQs About Balcony Repair
How Do You Cat Proof Balcony in High Rise?
The first thing you can do is instal a mesh or screen below the balcony to prevent your cat from jumping off or falling through. Mesh will need to be wrapped around the railing of your balcony if the bottom half of your balcony is not a solid wall. It lets in fresh air and doesn’t block out too much of the light. The use of netting is the second method for preventing cats from entering the house.
Are Cats Smart Enough to Not Jump off a Balcony?
Cats have strong instincts for self-preservation, so it is highly improbable that they will voluntarily leap off of balconies. However, cats are prone to taking tumbles for no apparent reason. They run the risk of losing their footing while walking on a balcony, being blown off by strong winds, or missing their landing altogether if they chase birds.
How Do I Enclose My Balcony on My Apartment?
You can enclose your balcony with some quick and easy fixes, such as installing bamboo roll up blinds or using outdoor curtains. There are also some other options available to you. Screens are an excellent method for controlling insects, and netting will keep your pet from falling off the balcony. Screen panels that are premade or an awning that can be screened in are examples of solutions that are more permanent.
Can I Enclose My Balcony?
If you want to enclose a balcony, you need to get the building department’s permission first. Otherwise, it’s against the law. The one and only exception to this rule is when the building in question is at least 50 years old and was constructed out of brick or stone. In this case, the inclosure work can be done without first obtaining a permit.
Can I Close a Balcony With Glass?
Due to the fact that it has a free opening configuration, the panels can also be opened and closed without risk of injury. You can make the most of the space on your balcony even when the weather is less than ideal by installing a glass inclosure there. When there is a thunderstorm, simply close the panels and then open them again when the rain stops. This will allow gentle breezes from the outside to enter the room.
