Decks are a popular place for the family to hang out in the nice weather so you want to ensure that it is a safe place for baby and/or toddler too.

Please ensure that you plan to have a child safe deck.  This should be discussed while you are designing your deck to ensure there are no unforeseen accidents waiting to happen.

You will need a rail on your deck if you have babies and/or toddlers in your family.  A fall can happen just from a few feet off the ground so that must be prevented.  If you’re thinking of having stairs to and from your deck, be sure that a child safety gate can be placed at it for the protection of any children.

Another safety precaution to take is to ensure that the materials you pick up from the building center are rounded and smooth.  If the deck has splinters in it, you are sure to have a child (or adult) end up with a splinter in their foot.  The deck will have to be inpected and sanded to get rid of any splinters from time to time.

  Besides wearing sunblock, a child needs to be protected from the harmful rays of the sun in other ways especially if they’re playing on a deck that is greatly exposed to the hot sun. If there is not a lot of shade over your deck, then a good idea is to build a canopy or overhang.

  If little children will be the majority of people enjoying and using your deck, then you have to think about their safety before anything. This is why you use a design that should allow no opportunities for climbing.  Ensure railing slats are placed close together to avoid getting childrens extremities caught in them and also to avoid someone trying to climb through and falling to the ground.

A safe deck is a fun deck for everyone. When you’re planning your deck (whether it’s a DIY project or whether you have a deck builder to construct your deck), plan to have a safe deck so your family can stay accident free to enjoy it for many years to come!

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