How to Childproof a Door With Safety Locks?

Finding the best child proof sliding door lock is important. Childproofing sliding doors, along with every other entry point in your home, is an essential part of keeping your children safe. Children are curious creatures. They explore and learn so much by interacting with things they’ve never seen before. It’s a fascinating process and something all children do; unfortunately, a child can put themselves in harm’s way simply by exploring their home.

Remember, children, open drawers and doors and want to find out what’s hidden behind them. It’s natural, but it’s also risky. Even when you have a good eye watching over them, they can slink away unnoticed and get into a heap of trouble. That’s why safety locks are essential.

Child safety locks will prevent a child from being able to open a door and getting outside (or having access to a room that’s unsafe for them). There are many safety lock options available and they’re easy for parents to use but difficult for a kid. They’ll help keep children safe though and are a solid investment.

What safety locks can you use to baby and childproof your home?

Why Use Safety Locks In Your Home?

Safety locks can be used throughout the home. A safety lock can be installed on a cabinet, drawer, door, or even a window. One of the great things about these locks is that they’re quite difficult for children to use and super easy for adults. They can help keep the children where they’re supposed to be and help ensure their safety.

Remember, children want to explore and will pull out drawers and open every door they can get a hold of. However, that poses a risk to them and it’s essential for secure locks to be in place to protect them. If entranceways aren’t secured, the door can cause serious damage to the baby or child. They can get their fingers caught in the door jam and it’s very painful. Adding safety locks will keep children safe.

Doorknob Safety Covers

Baby proofing isn’t an impossible task, but you can second-guess yourself over which methods to use. Doorknob safety covers can be an ideal option for keeping the children safely in one room. Let’s say you put the children into a playroom and they’re content watching a few cartoons and playing with their toys. However, you step out of the room for a minute to use the bathroom. In that few minutes of being away, one of the children has managed to open the door and as a result, fallen down a small staircase. With a safety cover, it’ll be difficult for the child to open the door.

Plastic doorknob covers can be installed around the doorknob and snaps securely into place. The only way to open the door is to click the two side buttons. However, they both have to be pressed at the same time so it’s very difficult for a kid to do so. There are many types of safety covers available but essentially they work in the same manner.

Lever Handle Safety Covers

Lever handle safety covers are incredibly easy to install and vastly popular for homeowners everywhere. These will ensure younger children can’t get outside when your back is turned. These types of safety covers make great safety locks. While they aren’t the typical locks you see on garage and other exterior doors, they’re great safety products to invest in. They’re an ideal interior safety lock option to consider.

So, how do they work? The entire lever handle is covered and has to be snapped at the sides to unlock them. It’s quite tricky and children can’t unlock them, so they’re great for those with younger kids. You can choose covers that can be attached to the door with adhesive tape or ones that have to be screwed into the door. Both are great and will last until the kids are a little older and able to figure out how to unlock them.

Top Door Locks

Sometimes kids reach an age where they’ve worked out how to unlock safety covers; some are even old enough to not need them anymore. However, that doesn’t mean to say safety measures still shouldn’t be used. Childproofing for slightly older children (those 6 and over) need to go one step further. A door top lock might be a more suitable option for your home.

As the name suggests, the locking peg is attached to the top of the door and sits neatly between the door and the door frame. The sliding latch is also attached to the door. To secure the door, you just need to slide the latch into place; to unlock, slide it off. Installing this takes a few minutes and is easy to work, but tricky for the kids and it’s out of reach too. It offers great protection, however, and better home security for growing kids.

If you want peace of mind, a top door lock might be the ideal solution.

Key Locks

Basic key locks were very popular many years ago and are slowly making a return. While these aren’t recommended for children’s playrooms or bedrooms, they’re ideal for other areas within the home. For instance, airing cupboards, basements, and even attics can use one of these locks. They lock with a key and all you have to do is turn it to lock or unlock; they’re great for baby care home security. However, they’re not for bedrooms as keys are easily lost, so it’s best to use them in areas you want to keep the kids out, like the basement.

Front Door Security Chains

Security chains, like front door chains, are there to keep burglars out of your home. They’re great safety features and every home should have at least one on every exterior door. However, they also make great security chains for children. A simple door chain can prevent kids from getting out when they shouldn’t. If the children slip out of your eyesight, they can be out of the front door within seconds. With a security chain, it’s almost impossible.

For example, you’re making dinner in the kitchen and have left the three-year-old sitting watching a cartoon in the other room. He gets bored and wanders off to the front door. He unlocks it, but the door doesn’t open because the chain prevents him from being able to fully open it. The security chain stops him from getting out onto the street and possibly getting hurt.

Securing Sliding and Patio Doors with a Patio Lock

Depending on where you live, you might have a sliding glass door. As nice as they are, they’re a potential safety hazard for children. Toddlers will be less likely to open sliding glass doors; however, it’s not entirely impossible. Slightly older children might also be able to unlock and open a patio or sliding glass door. So, how to child proof one of these doors?

You can get a patio door lock. This lock secures patio doors and slides right onto the track of the door. The door can be opened a few inches but not enough for the child to squeeze through. It’s very easy to install and works well as a child safety lock. Sliding door locks really are useful and cost-effective.

How to Secure a Drawer from a Child?

Drawers aren’t always considered when it comes to childproofing. Parents child proof doors, windows, and even refrigerators, but drawers are way down on the list; sometimes, neglected entirely. However, children will root around in any drawer or cabinet they can get their hands on and it’s a potential problem. Yes, it’s frustrating when the children empty the contents on the floor, but they could also find something dangerous. It could be medicines, sharp instruments, and all sorts of other things; the point is there are risks lurking everywhere. That’s why drawers need to be secured.

One option would be to use a magnetic lock. Now, these wouldn’t normally be recommended for drawers, but they’re quite useful. They work great for kitchen drawers and medicine cabinets. They can be used on any drawer that contains potentially harmful materials for the kids, even in utility rooms and cabinets. A magnetic key opens the drawers up and only takes a few minutes to install too. Once you’ve drilled holes into the drawer and secured the lock with screws, it’s ready to use.

Other child safety locks, like tension rods, can be good to use on column drawers. You could also look at a safety drawer lock. This attaches to the side of the drawer and snaps over the front. It’s strong and won’t open unless you unhook the safety latch first.

How to Proof a Pocket Door?

These are tricky doors. They fold into the wall and can present a few challenges at the best of times. However, you could use a safety door latch or a door smoocher. These can be ideal solutions when searching for child safety door locks and can be installed within a few minutes. They fit right onto the door runner or track and so will ensure the doors can’t be opened unless an adult removes the latch. It’ll help prevent children from getting their fingers caught in the door too and going into places they shouldn’t.

While searching for a pocket door safety lock, you need to look at how easy it is to install and the cost of buying it as well.

Protect Your Home and Children

There are many safety door locks to choose from, including sliding door locks, but you have to find the right ones for your home. To do that, think about what level of security or safety your children need. For instance, which areas of the home need door lock most? Ideally, you want to install door safety locks in the areas you want to keep the children away from most and prevent them from exiting the home.

Drawers and cabinets that are high up on the walls will be less of an issue at the moment but may need attention later. However, exterior doors and low-lying windows are a priority now. You also have to consider your budget for the locks and their reliability. It’s essential to buy sturdy safety locks that will protect your home and children.