There are few childproofing challenges greater than the fireplace. Reviews of commercial solutions are mixed, so we were excited to find these innovative DIY solutions.
Above, a well placed couch effectively keeps inquisitive kids out of harm's way. We love how this creative setup really maximizes the square footage.
Or, in the spirit of working with what you have, try putting a big box in the fireplace then blocking it with your child's big ride-on toys.
(Images: Ugly House Photos)
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We have a large hearth in the corner of our living room and it was going to take 2 of the store bought edge protectors in order to cover it and it was going to cost close to $100 to do so. We got a little creative and purchase to of the foam pool noodles and cut out a strip from each and secured them to the hearth using super strong velrco tape. It is far more protective than the store bought version and we did it for about $20.
We bought a gate for ours (brick, raised hearth, open firebox, so had to do something!), it is similar to this one, but found it at a local Meijer store for $50... http://www.onestepahead.com/pwr/product-reviews/4815/Gates/Kidco-Inc/p/06365-Hearth-Gate.html
argh! i keep falling for online april fool's jokes!
This is an real issue in our house...and we've just been trying to buy time by parking furniture in front of the sharp hearth edges (at just the right height for a serious head injury)...maybe there can be some not-so-foolish suggestions in the near future?
we use bees to keep the kids away from the fireplace. They get too close, they get stung. So far it works pretty well...;)
@stgvirginia - hearth bumpers, while an eyesore, are widely available. An amazon search for the term turns up over two dozen products.
Since we don't have a raised hearth, we don't have to worry about bumps, but the glass doors covering our wood-burning fireplace do get pretty hot. Our solution? Let the baby (then about 8 months) put his hand on it once. That was all it took. He now steers clear (though of course, we still keep an eye on him).
Ha! We have the same setup as the first picture! Yes it's ugly but it covers the fireplace and gives us more floor space in our odd shaped living room. The room needs updating at once, piecemeal won't work in this situation.
The simple and inexpensive solution to twin-proof our jagged rock fireplace was to cover it with an inexpensive carpet runner, folded and sewn at the corners. The one we found on sale at World Market blends so well people don't even notice.
you should paint all the brick white.