# Need Baby Gate for Stairs - But Have Brick Wall



## not_telling (Mar 31, 2008)

DS has just figured out crawling, so we're trying to figure out "baby-proofing." We'd like to get gates for the tops of our two staircases - though the staircase that leads right into our bedroom on the third floor (which DS currently shares with us) is the priority right now. We live in a twin home, so the wall along our staircases is a common wall between our home and the home that is attached to us. I believe it is brick. The staircase wall that leads to our bedroom has drywall over it (it was renovated about a year ago), but I don't think the drywall is attached to anything substantial enough to be considered a true "stud."

I know top-of-the-stair gates need to be mounted with hardware. Can any gate be mounted to a wall like ours?

Also, I can see the "repaired" holes where the family who lived here before us had their stair gates installed for the stairs that lead to the second floor (this wall just has plaster over the brick, as far as I can tell). Would we not want to screw into the old holes (probably just filled with some spackle)?


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## Nimbus (Feb 26, 2007)

I haven't installed a baby gate in brick, but here are my suggestions...
I would start with new holes so you know what gauge of screw to use (should match the anchors.) You'll also need to use a masonry drill bit to bore new holes and masonry anchors to assure the screws stay firmly in place. It might be a bit more trouble than installing into drywall or studs, but I'm sure it's worth the peac of mind! Best of luck.


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