Having kids in the house means you need to be extra careful about their safety around certain places like the kitchen and fireplace. Kids are a curious lot and would always find themselves doing something that you forbid them to do, like pushing their fingers into electrical sockets, trying to crawl down the stairs, or playing near the fireplace. Hence, it is up to you to make sure they don’t get hurt in the process of exploring the home. And the best way to do that is to child proof your house appropriately. Let’s stick to the fireplace in this article. Here are some simple and effective ways to childproof your fireplace to prevent injuries to your children.
Glass door fireplaces
Opting for a glass door fireplace can help prevent spark and popping embers from flying out of the fireplace and into the room. This would be a great asset if you have children who like to play in the area. However, be forewarned that the glass doors installed in the fireplace can heat up pretty quick. So touching it with bare hands also poses the risk of burns. It is wise to opt for a glass front fireplace only if your kids are old enough to understand that touching the glass doors would hurt them.
Fireplace screens
This is another effective way to childproof your fireplace. Installing a screen door in front of the fireplace would protect your kids as well as the rest of the family from the popping embers. You can open the door only when you want to start the fire or kindle it later on, keeping it closed in between. Plus, there is lesser chances of getting burnt by a screen door than by a glass door.
Switch locks
A large number of fireplaces now come with a key or remote control that can be used to ignite the fire. This can lead to dangerous situations, especially if your kids get hold of the remote or key. As such, you can consider installing a switch lock in the fireplace to thwart situations like this. A switch lock will prevent the fire from being ignited even if your kids accidentally press the remote or key.
Hearth padding
It is customary for a hearth to be built around the fireplace in order to prevent accidents. However, these hearths are usually very hard. They are also raised from the ground and have sharp edges, thereby increasing the risks of your kids tripping over them and getting hurt. You can therefore, opt for foam hearth guards that are fire resistant and would offer a nice cushion to land on in case your kids trip over the hearth.
Fireplace tools
It is considered wise to keep items like matches, remote controls and gas jets used to light the fireplace, far away from the reach of your children. Chances are they may try to experiment and end up starting the fire. Either keep them on the top row of a shelf of secure them so that your kids don’t get their hands on these tools.
Flammable items
Sparks and popping embers are customary with fireplaces, so keep flammable items far away from the fireplace as possible. These include curtains, cushions, blankets, papers, toys, stuffed animals, gifts, and even the Christmas tree. Anything and everything that is flammable needs to be kept at a safe distance from the fireplace. Don’t keep any item near the fireplace until the fire has gone out completely and the ashes have turned cold. This could prevent fires, and protect your family from harm.
Supervision
As a rule of the thumb, never leave your children unsupervised near the fireplace, especially with a fire going. Even with stringent childproof measures, there are chances for unforeseen accidents. So make sure you stay with them when they are near the fireplace.
Summary
If your house is equipped with a fireplace, you would need to child proof it in order to prevent your kids from getting hurt by the fire or heat. The tips mentioned above would help you achieve this effortlessly.
