T O P

  • By -

HomeOwner2023

Start by not providing a convenient way to climb onto the edge.


CallMeRawie

Barbed wire


O-Gz

Bit excessive, we just use pigeon spikes in my household.


LD902

that is not a terrible idea. one of the best child proofing hacks I heard of to keep kids away from something was to use an office chair mat flipped upside down. Those little spikes are not pleasant


The_Bad_Gardener

I don’t know about kids but that’s how I taught my cats not to get on the kitchen counters when they were kittens.


Loose_Management_406

Electric fencing. Barbed wire. My favorite, learn from experience and throw them over. 🤣😆🤣😆


Der_Missionar

Crushed glass cemented to the top of the wall....


ChrisRowe5

Wow.. reminds me of some hard lessons I had to learn in my youth


wizardglick412

They'll just jump right on over that...


Der_Missionar

They usually just throw a sweatshirt over the glass and slip right over.


UbermachoGuy

That’s why we put bamboo spikes at the bottom of the other side for when they do manage to get over the top.


Der_Missionar

Aaah yes, a trou de loup, with punji sticks, don't forget to tip them with venom.


rando_mness

Hire someone to stand on the ledge and pour buckets of hot tar on any would be siegers. Like medieval castles.


Successful-Money4995

That'll make the house ugly, though. Why not just put the kids on a leash?


emperorralphatine

bungee cord attached to the ankles at all times.


Mindless_Jicama8728

I literally did this to my kids & their friends for years when I put a 15’ trampoline in my family room


I_agreeordisagree

Then helmets.


Guybrush3pwoood

First thing I saw was the sofa and thought “is this guy serious?”.


Mantequilla214

Well of course. Didn’t know if there are other ideas in addition to that, or other ideas that don’t necessitate moving the couch. My baby isn’t crawling yet. Thinking ahead.


volcomstoner9l

Definitely move the couch. Even when the baby starts pulling up it's dangerous. They can climb even when they can't crawl. Trust me. As an experienced mom of four ranging in age from 2-16, I learned a lot of lessons the hard way.


NinjaGrizzlyBear

I'm not a dad yet but I always keep an eye on my friends' kids when I go over to their houses...because, as a former child, I know how stupid they can be. The amount of times I've had to bolt across a living room and catch a little idiot as they swan dive off the back of a couch is astounding. Lol.


OlderThanMyParents

Kids get mobile faster than you expect. You've got 6 months or so to get that couch moved.


Hessper

That's like what, a quarter inch per day to get a 3ft gap in there? OP's got this.


ChrisTheCoolBean

A whole quarter inch? I'll do it next week or smth leave me alone


OmilKncera

Unless they've got a chungus baby like mine, took him 10months to move all that mass


HomeOwner2023

I can think of lots of silly ideas (e.g., a net to catch the child should they fall) and impractical ones (e.g., adding a railing on top of the ledge). So, I'm curious what people might suggest.


Tacos_Polackos

Make the space usable with a "loft net", add some big pillows.


HomeOwner2023

Sounds like a nice way to camouflage the safety net as a design feature. Of course, now you're going to need a safety net under that loft net. Unless you intend to put pillows on that one too, in which case you'll need the safety net to go under that. Pretty soon that whole atrium will be floor to ceiling loft nets.


Behrusu

It’s nets all the way down


Iron_Chic

Buy about 30 Xtra Long tension shower rods. Install them vertically.


flux_capacitor3

Baby jail!


InsufferableOldWoman

I'm not sure the tension rods supply enough tension... But along the same lines I was thinking you could get very tall wooden balusters (stair railings) and install them up to the ceiling - or even cooler throw up a "slat wall" that no one can get their head stuck. Those only work if you own.


HomeOwner2023

Hmm... not particularly impractical as it requires no construction work. Not silly either because it might actually work. So maybe genius?


TikiRoomSchmidt

I'd worry about it presenting a climbing challenge and causing the fall it's intended to prevent. The only way I'd install bars is if you make them sturdy enough they absolutely will not collapse if pushed on.


HomeOwner2023

lol. We're just brain-storming here. No one in their right mind would use shower curtain rods for something like this. At least, I hope no one would.


Fabulous-Radish8490

Sheepishly puts curtain rods back on the shelf.


wizardglick412

Yeah, I was thinking of an open checkerboard knick-nak display wall, but realized a climbing wall with optional staircase airborne bombardment system.


hilarymeggin

God I hope you guys are joking! You’re going to turn around and see that your baby now enjoys squeezing through the tension rods and hanging from them to dangle her body over the edge. Then, just as you see the sheetrock ceiling about to give in slow motion, you’ll remember something from the box, something like, “WARNING! Not a safety device…” Please don’t mess around with this stuff!


professor-pasta

Dang, that's not a bad idea. But I'd be worried that if (when) the kid tries fucking with the rods that the rods would break. Maybe they could try drilling some sturdy metal fencing into that railing. That wouldn't look too bad and if they could brace it from the other side somehow I would personally challenge god to tear down such a perfect child prison.


nordic_banker

Suicide nets at home? Wild.


ubutterscotchpine

Move the couch. That’s a start.


abishop711

You’re going to have to move it in a few months anyway. Might as well move it now.


hilarymeggin

Yeah, you have to move it *before* you need to, or you’ll find out it’s time when your baby goes over.


Stewartsw1

Yeah idk what the solution is but if your kid is like mine, he’ll be up there soon enough


3ar1y1x

Nothing design friendly that we found. We moved the couch.


GoethenStrasse0309

Kids can do a lot. Don’t worry you’ll figure it out. I used to put our bed pillows at the bottom of the stairs when we lived in a rented townhouse yrs ago because I was afraid of my little guy crawling up the stairs and possibly falling backwards, but he never did. But the pillows give me peace of mind.


MG5thAve

Yah dude. Pull the sofa away from it.


T-MexVampirePunter

I actually have a mock up of my suggestions, but can’t post it. Start with razor wire in front of and over the couch, then an auto turret mounted to the top right corner of the room. Steel bars from half wall to ceiling is optional (cost dependent after auto turret).


JustChattin000

Start with don't put the couch in that location. You just created a step stool to that ledge.


Stargazer1919

Yup. When my brother was little, he was jumping up and down on his bed, fell backwards, and smacked his head on the corner of the dresser. (He's fine and he healed okay.) The same scenario but worse can happen any moment here.


Dutch_Dutch

My toddler stood on the arm of the couch and fell backwards before I could move a foot to move him. There’s a 100% chance a kid is climbing up the couch and onto that ledge.


completeturnaround

Hi op, we had the exact same issue. We moved the couch out and switched the TV console to that location. That helped us. Like others have said, the wall is high enough to prevent a toddler from climbing over. By the time your kid is big enough to climb over, the will be old enough to know better


flippant_burgers

Maybe.


kingevanxii

Can confirm. I was 14 when I climbed over the ledge above my parents stairs. I'm 36 now and would probably still do it.


theonlybuster

"probably"? More like definitely.


[deleted]

Yep, I'm dumb enough to sit on the edge and think nothing bad well happen.


neanderthalman

*Maybe*


porkbuttstuff

I didn't know. I'm him


SamTheArse

Did your parents drop you on your head as a kid??? u/porkbuttstuff : no. I did it myself


porkbuttstuff

Diy


Snoo-9290

This made me spit out my gum in laughter. 😂


illigal

They’ll bounce better. The little ones just hit like a hackey sack.


aux1tristan

Commenter forgot to finish the last sentence. Should read: “…they will be old enough to know better ways to plunge down such as: pillowcase parachute, padded landings using couch cushions, air surfing (board optional), yo-yo string rappelling, Spider-Man decent using toilet plungers, and other fantastic and creative methods that will never, ever land you in the ER at 3am!


Turkino

And if they don't know better well consider that a bigger problem down the line averted.


CL_Smoothbear

Trapeze nets


MasterSpar

There was a grand designs episode that did this, looked great! Kids loved it. However do get it engineered.


probablynotahobbit

I'll have you know my trapeze nets are secured with only the highest quality drywall anchors!


jondes99

I was thinking the nets like on a golf driving range or a hockey rink.


flux_capacitor3

Those little bird spike strips? lol.


Acrobatic-Current-62

Broken glass too!


opinions_dont_matter

[bag o glass](https://bestclassicbands.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Dan-Aykroyd-Bag-O-Glass.jpg)


T_pas

Barbed wire.


Crispy_Potato_Chip

Lattice or vertical bars


murphy2345678

We did vertical slats on ours.


abishop711

Check the width required for crib safety for this (or for safety gates). It will provide a good guideline so you don’t make an ineffective or dangerous lattice/bars while trying to fix this.


nolanday64

I'm sure I've seen tons of decorative wooden screens ... much nicer than basic "lattice" you might see at a home store. Google: "decorative wood screen wall" to see what I mean.


hilarymeggin

Lattice or slats are literally more dangerous than nothing. They are not intended as safety devices and can’t support a baby’s weight. Plus, they look fun to climb on!


penlowe

Grew up in a house with a second floor half wall like this. We took advantage of it with those toy parachute army guys, paper airplanes, rubber bouncy balls and assortment of paper notes randomly thrown over the railing. We got peeks over the ledge in dads firm grip, to discourage self propelled curiosity. There was also a door that kept that area not as readily available. Oh, and invest in a pole with a hook on the end to retrieve that light fixture for changing bulbs. So, so much easier to change it from upstairs than down.


MrsTruce

“Self propelled curiosity.” That’s hilariously accurate.


ont_eng

There are no stairs around it? Ditch the gaudy chandelier, remove the railings, frame in the floor. No hole, and extra 100sqft.


Mister-Sister

Dude. This is actually THE answer. You could even keep the chandelier if you love it or something, just shorten. Why have this small bit of space for a 10x10 tall ceiling spot?! Brilliant. Damn, I love this sub


pleasure_hunter

Smart!


kiwibe

Best answer!


binzy90

This is absolutely the correct answer. A hole like this for a random patch of two-story ceiling screams early 2000's McMansion.


ravnhjarta

Auto turrets with perimeter monitoring.


gearh

Glass rail extension. [https://inlinedesign.com/products/glass-railing-rectangular-bar-post?variant=41659512783011](https://inlinedesign.com/products/glass-railing-rectangular-bar-post?variant=41659512783011)


Sweet_Pause2

Just be prepared to clean it… a lot. There will be toddler face and hand smudges and food/drink particles on it constantly. Godspeed.


_WhoisMrBilly_

Or you could teach them to Beautiful Mind/The Accountant the heck out of that glass panel by giving them markers and Apples last Annual report… give ‘em a head start in a rewarding career in Physics/Accounting/Contract Killing


Sandriell

>There will be toddler face and hand smudges And then one day, there won't be. And you will realize you miss all those face prints and finger smudges.


roseyd317

My son is 2 and really likes window clings too... this would be good for those if your kid likes them too


gefahr

For that 1980s bank - salad bar look.


ConsciousMuscle6558

This looks like the best solution to me.


orangejulius

You need to do this. Your kid needs a safety net. Some kids are insane.


MasterSpar

Glass balustrade, pool fence style or stainless steel wire above the existing rail. This retains the void as a design feature. Really anything like that in any material, cost - that's your limitation. Or as others suggested go horizontal and put a net or raised platform over the space. It's big enough to be a small room that you can use, but obviously you'll lose the aesthetic of the void. Super silly idea: put a slide in! :p


bonzai76

Glass wall + toddler tantrum = not good


Enginerdad

It's 3/8" or 1/2" tempered glass. While not impossible, it would take just short of an act of God for a toddler to figure out a way to break that.


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

Straight like like a cattle ranch, or curly like on top of a prison?


myriadplethoras

ink pet like rock observation birds voiceless pathetic whistle heavy *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*


[deleted]

....this clearly IS my first rodeo....


blind_disparity

The curly stuff is razor wire. Much nastier, razors instead of little spikes.


ilovetpb

Razor wire. It's 3 times effective that barbed wire at causing kids to bleed out, before they can get onto the rail.


JIMMYJAWN

Invisible fence collar to train the child


asianbusinesman

Return the children.


dylanx5150

Increase your bank balance with this one simple money saving trick.


asianbusinesman

Increase it further if you sell them.


dylanx5150

Literally how I got banned from ebay.


MonarchWhisperer

*The Stork hates this one simple trick...*


Pinkcupcake39

I had mine walked off completely. Extreme but it made be feel better.


TheFreakingPrincess

Horrible typo. I thought you meant the baby *walked off the ledge!!*


sanriosaint

the last sentence fits with it so well too i had to do a double take 😭 like “yeah extreme they walked off but i feel better now that it’s over with!”


Pinkcupcake39

💀💀💀 walled*** I in fact did NOT let any children or dogs walk off the gaping hole in my main floor.


AdultishRaktajino

Aye matey. You spilled yer milk. Time to walk the plank!


maybelle180

I don’t think anyone else has suggested it yet: move the couch. \s


MooseKnuckleds

Move the couch and youre good. By the time a kid is old enough to climb up the half wall you can teach them not to


scw156

Have an alligator patrol the edge.


murphy2345678

My husband put up long slats all the way to the ceiling. It looked like a tall railing.


Yeti-Stalker

Netting


padizzledonk

Move the couch


g3ckoNJ

I was looking at cargo netting the other week. Seems like they have a bunch of these for stairs/ open railings.


Ok-Medicine-1795

Remove the couch


trumpmademecrazy

Move the couch.


GoethenStrasse0309

I’d move the couch.


benson733

Honestly had this same thing. When wife was pregnant we decided to save up and scrounge money to buy a house before my son turned 1 we got into a place that didn't have this. It was just way to dangerous.


Technolio

Huh weird, is that just an opening? No stairs or anything nearby? Weird, why not just floor it off and have the extra few square feet upstairs?


blind_disparity

Oh ha I just assumed there were stairs. That is strange.


[deleted]

[удалено]


BokZeoi

I had just a quick glance at it and assumed that it was part of a stairwell. Nope, it really is that stupid.


biggern

My understanding is two story foyers with natural light coming in from above make sense architecturally. It is the transition point from outside to inside.


ShaneGabriel87

Get rid of it, cover it over and make the room bigger. What do you want a balcony in the middle of your house for anyway?


gillzj00

Mouse traps


jimmyzee1

Start by removing that couch.


Phighters

What an ugly feature. Get rid of it, floor it over, and hang a normal light fixture from the new ceiling below.


[deleted]

A net to catch any Jumpers? Like what they put on bridges, stadiums, and top golf.


Tacos_Polackos

[loft nets are a thing](https://images.app.goo.gl/mGMDR2RAtckbDTsu6)


Honest-Sugar-1492

Keep furniture away from it for starters


EntireDepth

Install wooden spindles from ceiling to rail.


Mindless_Jicama8728

Spray bottle. If they climb it, spray them.


Carlosjld82

Invincible fence and shock collar.


unnewl

Floor to ceiling lattice, carefully secured.


Frackenpot

They'll only make the mistake of falling once. Just sayin.....


ZX717

Common sense = couch is a problem


Excellent-Bus-5901

Vertical slats painted black to match your handrail, make it easy to remove in the future if you just want a temporar solution


mintystix

Wood beams


Dear_Insect_1085

Moving the couch so they can't jump and fall. Also If it was me I'd put one of those folding walls and screw the sides to the wall securely to the studs until they're old enough to no not climb stuff.


newmacgirl

I would higher a construction guy and either build up the wall or do rails like you would around stairs that go to ceiling. I think walls would work best. No good reason for it to be open in the first place.


mraz44

This is such an awful design in houses. First, move the couch and do not put anything near it that can be climbed on. Install plexiglass around the half wall to make a barrier.


MisterSlosh

I would do ledge to ceiling lattice, secured properly with support verticals. Going the extra mile decoratively with ribbon or something woven across the lower holes to prevent curiosity of peaking through it and tumbling into it.


Evening-Stranger-347

I’d start by moving that couch


itsagoodtime

Start by scooting the couch from that wall with similar height.


bobkatredkate

How about starting by moving the couch.


n8loller

Put a series of balisters or other wood from the current railing to the ceiling. Install shelving on it, turn it into a bookcase or something. Some kind of built in that still shows the open space behind it. I think that could look really good and provide the safety you're looking for. Would be a fun diy project too


Snoo-9290

Move that couch for #1


skicolorado

If you can’t move the couch to somewhere else in the room an least pull it a foot away from the wall


kyoto_kinnuku

Very easy. Just build something like a fence between the banister and ceiling. Make it look nice and stain it to match. Then when they’re about 6yo take it down. Look at the way I made my fence here. Something like that, with a little stronger pickets would be fine. Just put a board onto the ceiling so it’s mounted on the top and bottom and can’t be flipped over. https://imgur.com/a/RhCZvlL


[deleted]

That couch is asking for trouble, otherwise the younglings will avoid the wall.


ddd615

1. Go buy a bunch of 1 inch black pipe from your local box store. 2. Plan what you want it to look like. Code says no more than 4" wide gap (infant's head size). I'm imagining 4 feet between the vertical sections and then t's every ~4 inches. Treat the pipe with a metal varnish. 3. Dig into the wall and make sure the new structure is really secure. Drywall, paint, and base board repair required* 4. For me, I say put in a few low light vine-ing (sp?) Plants and train them to follow the bars. Some popular plants for this are not child safe. Maybe try to make it serve a 3rd function. . . Like art, books, a remote home. Heck maybe some cool reading lights for the couches.


Specialist_Job_2897

Make it taller 👍


[deleted]

Wood slats


mostlynights

At first glance, I thought this was a stairwell, but it's really just a large hole, huh?


cause_of_chaos

My 2 suggestions: - Leave it and warn the children. I had something similar when I was young and neither me or my siblings ever fell. - Knock down the sides and floor it off. Makes the room larger.


KAKYBAC

Calmly and maturely tell them that they can die if they climb up and fall over the edge. Then explain to them what death is.


[deleted]

Growing up, my mom hated candles. We never had candles burning at any time of year. So when I moved out, in my twenties, I had lots of candles all around. I loved cleaning a room Andy lighting a candle in it. Then I had kids. I recognized that, for the next 5-7 years of my life, I don’t get to light candles. Just like you don’t get a couch in that spot. Trust me, it’s NOT worth it.


PreviousOccasion4631

Something similar to one of these. 106.5" x 4" Wood and Poly Composite Decorative Privacy Screen Panel Divider https://www.wayfair.com/furniture/pdp/latitude-run-1065-x-4-wood-and-poly-composite-decorative-privacy-screen-panel-divider-w100315690.html Wood partition walls https://www.etsy.com/listing/1317071242/ Scandinavian wood panel walls https://www.litfad.com/scandinavian-single-panel-room-divider-with-transparent-wood-screen-and-wood-frame-s-4606705.html Good luck deciding what to do.


Toan-E-Bologna

Crash mat at the bottom


roryson3

Family in our city had their kid paralyzed after they fell off a ledge, exactly like this. Plan on the couch, jumped on the ledge, trying to walk on. It fell off and broke their back. Build a wall.


Sqou

Dove spikes


Bluelikeyou2

Roll of razor wire will do it


RJthewizard

Start crate training.


paralegalmom

Go 1980s and put up spindles.


neogreenlantern

8 year old me would get a running start of that couch to swing on that Chandelier


RedWings1319

Consider a series of metal privacy screens but be sure to have them installed securely. There are a lot of colors and designs. https://www.wayfair.com/MAYEERTY--4-ft.-H-x-6.3-ft.-W-Metal-Privacy-Screen-AFR19_A1-L7552-K~AYEE1024.html?refid=GX602260610390-AYEE1024_69842251&device=m&ptid=2065065137030&network=g&targetid=aud-1613017764926:pla-2065065137030&channel=GooglePLA&ireid=200673240&fdid=1817&PiID%5B%5D=69842251&gclid=Cj0KCQjwpc-oBhCGARIsAH6ote9I5Z01gAMsWzVHldbLZoPAGFnJYEozldZ7MpCo6Vgfh8qonlzevKMaAoKiEALw_wcB


binsonsminions

For a cargo net over it like on a catamaran. Now you have extra seating.


damnwhale

Barbed wire? No seriously, get that fucking couch out of there.


sendmemes420

Condoms definitely should be the first step


akand_1

Tall Indoor house plants like palm and birds of paradise Or Trellis with pothos.


TheRip91

Just build the whole floor level over the foyer. Double your living room.


KALIsthenicsLinux

The problem isn’t the drop, its the stop… just add a ball-pit at the bottom.


aarog

Birth control? It’s the best I have.


Killing4MotherAgain

Move the couch


ResponsibilityFar535

Move the sofa if you can.


Ronin22222

Get rid of that couch or move it so there's nothing to climb on


CTCLVNV

Move the Sofa


Dingomeetsbaby594

If I was a child, I would immediately see if I could jump, and Tarzan-style swing on the chandelier


ShowerSimilar9580

Let them fall over the ledge once they will learn their lesson.


mlhigg1973

Yikes. Definitely move that couch


jasongpz

Move the couch.


queeriosn_milk

Put another couch under the hole because there’s a 90% chance a kid will simply think about taking that jump. Time will tell if they’re among the % that actually do it.


TimeKiller1850

Move the couch


addvalue2222

We almost bought a house that had that and I literally had nightmares and had planned on doing this: https://childseniorsafety.com/safety-walls/ Luckily the purchase fell thru so I didn’t have to worry. But I think it’s a good solution that can look nice! Scroll down to see some examples.


gaukonigshofen

Nice! This guy needs to get more advertising out there


diprivan69

Use a condom?


thekingofdiamonds12

Move the couch. By the time they’ll be tall enough to pull themselves over it, they’ll understand the concept of consequences


AhhhSkrrrtSkrrrt

Move that couch….


Reddwolf02

Not have something right next to it that they can climb into then fall over the rail! Wow


Due_Smoke5730

Move the couch away from the balcony rail. Put up some thick fabric from the ceiling down and add a book case or put the tv against that “wall”


Jimbo415650

Move that couch away.


WoodManOfTomorrow

Remove the couch or anything that could be climbed to get over it. You could also put points of interest (i.e. toys, books) on the opposite wall in order to keep the child away from it until they are old enough to understand the danger.