# Half wall



## Brik (Jan 16, 2007)

By the time they are big, and old enough, to actually climb it they will be old enough for you to TEACH them not to.


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## elementx440 (Jan 24, 2007)

Heh, he must have little boys! When I was growing up I had the half-wall overlooking the stairs, my parents put those wooden banister posts upto the cieling... made my room a lot like a jail cell  and I admit, I did get my head stuck in them a few times...


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## AtlanticWBConst. (May 12, 2006)

bethie333 said:


> Hello all,
> I am moving into a house with a half wall that looks over the stairs (in an L shape) and I have 3 small children that I am worried will try to climb it. It is far enough from the cieling that a baby gate used sideways wouldnt work.
> Does anyone have any quick-fix ideas of how I could prevent a fall?
> Thank you!!


Bethie, 
It sounds like you do not want to do anything permanent with this area. One option is to build a temporary 'upper-railing' type system, that will be removed once the children get older. You could do this by using a length of 3/4" wood for the bottom (on the 1/2 wall) and then one for the top (at the ceiling)....in between, you attach large closet type poles (1 3/8" diameter and very sturdy). The upper and lower peices of stock: 1"x6" stock. These could all be painted or stained to match your interior trim work.

This 'upper railing' could be prebuilt (as one piece) by taking the measurements for the height and then building this unit prior to placing it into the areas that you want to use them in. You could use #10 -# 12 .... 3" screws to attach them to the 1/2 wall surface and to the ceiling joists above. 
When the children get older, you could simply remove it (by taking the 3" screws out) and patch the ceiling screw holes with joist compound and (if the 1/2 walls are wood topped) use wood putty to fill the screw holes on that....

For now, that's about what I can come up with. We did this on a set of stairs leading into a basement area, so the Homeowner could remove it when he had to bring in furniture. 
Sometime, I need to stop by there and take pics of it to better explain the design....

There may be other suggestions .....


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## bethie333 (Mar 21, 2007)

Thank you for your replies. Keep them coming! 
I really appreciate you taking the time to write all of that.


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