How to Baby Proof Fireplace — 14 Steps Checklist
Tags: Baby Care, Baby Proof Fireplace, Baby

How to Baby Proof Fireplace — Important 14 Steps Checklist Babyverse Feb 26·7 min read

Your baby is starting to walk and doesn’t stay in a place; it’s time to start baby proof the house. The fireplace is a special attraction for all babies with a flickering flame that invites them to explore. While the task of baby proofing seems straightforward yet many hidden hazards and details are easily overlooked. So, how do you baby proof your fireplace perfectly without destroying the aesthetics of your living room? Keep reading to find out!

How to baby proof your fireplace?

Baby proofing your fireplace is not just about keeping your little one away from the flames.

It is equally dominant to protect your child from adjacent hazards.

Although you might think that getting a baby-proof fireplace screen is all you need to do to keep your little one away from danger.

Yet, there are a few more precautions that need to be taken to make it completely baby-proof.

You have to test it at your child’s level, to begin with.

Despite all the caution you’ve given to covering all of your bases, kids can find a way through your defenses and get hurt.

You’d be surprised to know how many injuries have occurred even in child-proof homes, where parents might have overlooked a little bit of detail.

Therefore, think like a baby and get to discover all possible dangerous places in the house on your hands and knee and make them baby-proof.

Gates are possible abrasion or pinch threat. You might end up finding sharp edges, nails sticking out, or rough edges.

The baby-proofing method must be tested and corrected in all possible ways.

While this is not going to protect your child absolutely, though it minimizes the danger.

Make a list of all things that are potentially hazardous to your baby in the fireplace.

It’s easy to forget about small but important details when you’re a busy mom, so it’s best to write everything down in a diary.

Address each issue and label it as safe, unsafe, and pending. Depending on how much you’ve worked on it.

Everything counts, from the rigidity of the gate to the ease with which your baby can open it by watching you.

Watch out for raised surfaces that are trickling or a pinch hazard and fix them with a sponge and tape.

When you’re out shopping, have this list with you.

It will help you buy the hardware you need.

Restrict the access

Prevention is better than cure.

Thus, it is your best defense against injury from a fireplace.

Restrict access as far as possible to the fireplace or room around it.

There is no risk of injury if your baby can’t get to it.

Although some parents want to cut off access to the living room entirely by closing the door, it’s a privilege that all parents don’t have.

A fireplace gate for baby proofing is a fantastic idea to keep them safe in such instances.

To keep your child restricted to one end of the living room, you can use the gates to block the area around the fireplace.

Identify and focus on fixing the remaining risks.

Think of everything that could go wrong with your setup.

Will your child push through the gates? Are the gates fully secured to do their job? or is the gate adequate?

These are some of the questions that need to be answered right away. It should go on your checklist too.

Baby-Proofing the hearth

A hearth is where even older children sometimes get injured by tripping or smashing their toes while running around.

When the fireplace is not in use, the hearth is necessary to prevent the embers from flying through your carpet.

It still needs to be baby-proofed.

Stuff you need to baby-proof the hearth

Foam tubing guards are your child’s best friend to keep them safe all over the house from sharp edges.

To stick them to the edges of the stove, you will also need tape.

It is also a great option to have foam protectors that specifically go on corners.

To mitigate the risks, strictly follow the concept to keep all exposed surfaces covered with something fluffy.

Baby proofing a stepped hearth

Baby proofing a flat hearth is probably the simplest because your floor is almost level and won’t require much cushioning.

A trouble-free approach could be to cover it with a soft mat so that the rough edges are not exposed, and without trouble, your children may walk over it.

However, when you use the fireplace, you will have to uninstall it, as it can become a fire hazard.

Fireplace screens are also a great choice if you want to cover up the whole section, including the hearth.

You won’t need to use a mat when using a tablet as the hearth falls within the screen.

Baby Proof Fireplace Doors

With or without an active fire, fireplace doors are still a possible danger of pinching or cutting.

The doors on the railings may have sharp edges or crevices where it is easy to pinch the skin.

Here’s how you can baby-proof your fireplace doors:

Test them before buying

Fireplace doors are made to keep the fireplace closed, so they may lack being safe for young kids.

You will find door models that are extra secure and child-friendly if you put in a little extra effort.

Consider having it replaced if you already have an unsafe fireplace door, particularly if it can not be padded to protect its sharp edges.

Keeping your child away from the fireplace door is the ideal way to protect it from it.

As they keep the door completely out of reach, metal fireplace screens and baby gates are excellent fireplace protectors for babies.

Fireplace locks is a safety feature, after use, it won’t prevent your child from touching the scorching door.

Therefore, when it is on, it’s best to use screens or gates.

When the fireplace is not in use, the door should also be closed and locked so that it can stop your child from crawling inside.

Closing the door with a burning fire is not recommended.

As there is a risk of being exposed to carbon monoxide for you and your family.

Keep track of door temperature.

When you are done using the fireplace, pay attention to how long it takes for the doors to cool.

Even though doors are safe by themselves. You still need to wait for them to cool down before removing the baby gates.

Knowing the time would provide you with a reasonable estimate of when the safety barriers should be removed.

Baby Proof a 3-Sided Fireplace

From the baby proofing perspective, three-sided fireplaces throw up a unique safety challenge as they occupy a larger area.

Since there are so many designs around, no standard safety devices are available.

It is a decent opportunity for DIY baby-proof fireplace ideas, indeed.

Baby proofing with gates

The best way for a 3-sided fireplace to be baby proof is to join a few panels of baby gates together to surround the peninsular.

This will take an extra gate length, so you can look to buy a super long baby gate.

It will be a challenge to lock the gate to the wall so that your child won’t find out their way through.

If the design of the fireplace is uncomplicated with fewer edges and protrusions, the existing fireplace screen can be used to cover the fireplace glass.

This will ensure that your child will not be able to put his hands on the glass and burn his fingers.

The edges can be covered with hearth pads for extra safety from bumps and trips.

Keeping Your Baby Safe From Carbon Monoxide

All fireplaces produce a certain amount of carbon monoxide.

It is a toxic gas that can cause the baby and the whole family to suffocate.

Here’s how you can protect your child from this threat:

Ensure Adequate Ventilation

Carbon monoxide is formed quickly in the absence of proper ventilation in the room.

To deal with it, ensure that there is a free flow of air through the room.

Also, make sure that the smoke is wholly carried out through the chimney.

Keep the chute and the chimney clear to facilitate the free flow of the burnt gases.

Always clear your chimney blocks before you start a fire.

Carbon monoxide is an odorless and colorless gas that is hard to detect, and the symptoms of its ingestion are nausea and dizziness.

It is therefore impossible to detect this gas unless the symptoms begin to develop.

In high quantities, carbon monoxide can be lethal, so it is essential to have a detector that can warn you when the gas is in high quantities.

Carbon monoxide detectors also come with some detection features, making them a great safety device to ensure complete safety when your baby is in the living room.

If your alarm goes off, take your child out and call 999.

Ideally, a baby proof fireplace should stop your child from getting too close to the fireplace where it is exposed to rough edges, corners, and raised surfaces.

Baby doors and screens are excellent choices for childproofing most fireplaces along with hearth pads to increase safety.