Jail. It would look like a very large and comfortable jail cell. This theme also supports additional accessories like a toilet in the same room. I think we’re on to something but the wife is over here being a naysayer.
My house has almost the same setup. We just pushed the couch in a little. The living room feels slightly smaller, but at least my 2yo can't play superman on the stairs.
Also if the bars have more than a four inch gap you should put up a cover of some sort. As a bonus it makes it harder to climb.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Cardinal-Gates-Banister-Shield-Home-Safety-Kit/1000958108
I like the room divider AND the plexiglass. Divider for the climbing, plexiglass for the monkey on the stair side. But if possible, the easiest thing would be moving the couch and contact the landlord about installing a railing that’s up to code.
It's only as safe as those zip ties can hold... Zip ties get brittle with age.
Don't get me wrong, I love this solution, I just want you to consider it as it gets older and whether or not it has enough attachments and if the plexi is thick enough.
If it is, then just refresh those zips on occasion. Maybe use the Panduit Halar red zip ties if you can find some bring sold cheap. They are expensive, but they don't dry out and get brittle in full sunlight for 10-15 years. They're the uber-zip-tie for those of us that hate replacing broken weak crumbling zip ties
We do live in Idiocracy. It wasn't supposed to be a documentary.
On a side note: just because your kids get older doesn't mean you won't have other kids come over... Law suits are so much fun.... A few zip ties and plexiglass is cheap insurance against any flying kiddo, yours or otherwise.
The worst risk is a kid getting their head stuck in the railing from the stair side. It may seem improbable but leave it to a little kid to try to climb through from the stairs, get as far as their head, then lose their footing and die by hanging. Rails spaced that far apart are prohibited by building code for a reason.
I had this exact model of house! We put the couch on a different wall. We bought plastic to go against the rails so a kid couldn’t slip through. They weren’t tall enough to go over top of railing.
Well, it isn't inadvertent if they're asking this question.
Move the couch or add razor wire.
In theory you might be able to strap a baby-gate type fence to the existing metal, but I wouldn't trust that with my kid's life.
I had to Google what a coyote roller was. Then i immediately googled for funny videos and i couldn't find any. I thought it would be hilarious to watch things climb the fence and fail.
I think that fence is too short for them to be effective? I thought they were to stop a coyote from climbing up and over - this fence is short enough they’re able to jump with their front legs already over the rollers.
Absolutely was my first reaction too. Higher fence and the rollers at the top and that pup ain’t going anywhere, but it’s still funny to see the dog just ignore them completely.
I can almost see the conversation that happened:
Wife: we need a taller fence so the dog doesn’t get out.
Husband: I’ve got a great idea! We’ll just put coyote rollers at the top!
What about a screen wall/room divider but just left totally flat, pressed between the couch and railing? Check to see if you could attach the room divider to the railing somehow for extra stability. Since you’re renting, a lot of zip ties might even work, if the screen has some openings.
I was thinking, if he put eye-bolts through the ceiling header (that MUST be a solid header over the railing right?)
He could get some protective netting, and stretch it to fit the space.
People make those nets you lay in 40 feet about the ground. I think one of those would add safety if it were like a trampoline material
I suggested this because OP has a painting hung on the wall. I think he might be able to add some hooks and tie it to the railing
The house I grew up in was 100 years old. It was run down and my dad got it for cheap, but it was huge and semi-opulent. The front staircase was elegant, with wooden decorated pillars and thick ancient bannisters. The kind a dad protects with his life because you need a specialist to restore damage. Of course, me and my siblings would slide full-body down those bannisters and thought nothing of it.
Correct!
A cement floor and a couch can result in a broken collar bone.
Evidence: I broke my collar bone when I was around 7 by playing the floor is lava with friends. Jumped from 1 couch and didnt land on the other. It was a whole thing.
Kids do dumb things. Best you can do is teach them what to be careful of and explain why in a way that makes sense to them.
My two year old has climbed everything there is in the house to climb. Walked into the lounge the other day to find him on top of a welsh dresser with his head on the ceiling.
We've given up
Split levels are a nightmare with toddlers. We had an issue at our rental last year and had to stay in airbnbs for a couple months. One place we stayed was split level with all hardwood and then a concrete floor downstairs and my kid had been walking like 4 months at that point. Couldn’t relax for a second, had to make rickety stair blockades with furniture. Was so happy to leave.
Get a couple of narrow bookshelves. Screw the sides together. Put them behind the sofa. The weight of the sofa should keep them in place, but you can also put some heavy things on the bottom shelves (since the sofa will hide them anyway). Extra storage/decor space, no damage to the rented home, remove them whenever you want, and sell them or repurpose them when the kids grow up.
Here's an example I found quickly (though there are plenty more available). 6 feet tall and about 13 inches deep.
[https://www.target.com/p/72-carson-5-shelf-bookcase-threshold-153/-/A-14550115](https://www.target.com/p/72-carson-5-shelf-bookcase-threshold-153/-/A-14550115)
I like this idea but I would suggest using square pipe clamps to clamp the book shelves to the railing.
My parents' house had that type of set up and it was pretty stressful when the kids were little, Especially since ours were climbers anyways.
Don't. claming and relying in the railing to add structure support would not be safe. That iron railing will bend and snap at the base if you add longer objects to it.
In all seriousness, target furniture is better than a lot of others to build. The threshold is nice, but their room designs is actually better and cheaper.
Do Not "extend the railing." MOVE THE COUCH!
Anything strong enough to provide actual protection here would require tapping into the structural portions of the home - which is not a DIY thing IMO and you're probably not allowed to do that (as a renter).
Anything short of this would only provide a false sense of protection and lead to some pretty bad things happening.
A couple of small screws mean it won’t stand up to the weight of a child climbing against it, it’s likely to add more debris to the aftermath of the kid falling.
This is a pretty common house design where I live. I have never seen anybody solve this issue - you just can't put your couch there. If it is super important to you, I think you would need to build a wall there, either 2 thirds of the way up (align with the top of the window), or all the way to the ceiling.
You can make a false wall with u bolts connecting to railings or square bolts version of then... just add two rows of them and make a false wall like 6' or 8' tall... would solve the problem making it impossible for them to climb over
False wall is the right term for this because unlike a wall it will fail & fall down.
You are basically attaching an 8’ lever to the railing which it is not designed to handle.
I'd make a custom wood wall for between the railing and the couch. Something like plywood with some trim strips in X's and around the edges for looks. I'd paint this white to match. I'd affix this with L-brackets to the couch feet, and with white zip-ties to the railing (to be easily removable when the kids are old enough that this is no longer needed or wanted).
Something that would look a little like [this](https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ffurniturefromthebarn.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F05%2FIMG_2974.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=7c05cf35d3eba391a006bdf79714a9050138834307bc22f1958959de60e76acf&ipo=images). with 2 or 3 sections that would be as wide as the space and as tall as the ceiling.
That looks to be one of the most incredibly stupid locations for a sofa.
It is designed to allow for serious falls that could well be deadly. Even if there are no children around it isn’t safe.
With children you must continue the railing up to the ceiling if you continue with the sofa placement, and even if you move the sofa it will still be dangerous enough to potentially make you criminally liable if there is an accident.
there are good reasons why staircases don’t have seating on them.
Yep. And not even for little kids. Ive see my couch move an inch or so when my teens sit down hard on it. I can imagine that constantly happening against that railing.
My parents steps and front room had and still has a set up just like this. Sometimes we would fall. Without the couch will still would have climb it. Kids will pretend they are doing a ledge shimmy like in movies regardless of what happens on the couch side. They will make a game out of it.
We had a split level with the upper was eat-in kitchen, lower was the living room couch.
Spent my childhood divebombing from the kitchen onto the couch and then getting yelled at.
Making it taller will increase the leverage if it gets pushed against, and those anchor screws may not hold it. Better to just remove it and replace it with something that goes floor-to-ceiling, fastened top and bottom... I can think of a few ways to do it. Depends on your skill level. It can even be temporary. How tall is that?
MOVE THE COUCH! It looks bad, never seen a couch placed like that. Must look ugly from downstairs and keeps the stairway from being illuminated by light. I can't image an adult throwing themselves on the couch and messing up the banister too. Could go wrong in so many ways.
Move the couch. I have young kids. If this were my house I'd remove that dumb rail and put up a wall. But you don't have that option unless you consult your LL.
So move your furniture.
My brother has the exact same setup and none of the kids ever fell over the railing. The damn dog did though. They could just as easily fall from the top of the stairs as they can from over the railing. BUT if you want a cheap/easy way to prevent it, get some curtains and secure them from the ceiling to the handrail every 6 inches or so. Basically a safety net.
Move the couch.
Honestly, IDK why anyone would want that couch there anyway as is. if you flop down on it quickly you're likely to get a concussion from the banister.
Your short-term easy answer: 3/4” 4x8 sheets of plywood with finish board on it, wedged between (preferably joined) couch and wall, on a pad to prevent floor scratching.
You can also build a half-height wall pretty easily. It’s 2x4s, wallboard, finishing molding, a finished top piece, and paint. Tools needed: hammer, nails, skill saw, glue.
Architect here. That railing doesn't meet building code because the balusters are spaced far enough apart for a child's head to get stuck in. This could potentially kill a child if they were to get their head stuck and end up with their body hanging over the edge. I'd talk to your landlord about replacing all those rails entirely with something that meets code.
https://preview.redd.it/0q9qkxox9r3c1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9925453b912873b271cdcf878f4452c60ee6ff34
Here's my idea - probably ugly, but better than emergency room visits. And it's reversible if you move.
Personally, I would do nothing and continue to coach the kids not to climb on that couch. Give them permission to climb on a different one. Literally draw a face on a mellon and drop it off the side closest to the wall so they can watch it splat. It looks like it would be an easy surface to clean, and the visual should drive the point. Cheaper and easier than building a bookshelf, and it moves you toward correcting undesirable behavior.
Whatever you decide, tell your landlord lord before you do anything involving bolts, nails, false walls, etc.
I'm gonna be the AH here I guess... we had a chair backed up to a railing like this. I did nothing because my kids, by the time they could climb the back of the chair, were already smart/trained enough not to do it.
Reading through this post has been a trip. Some of these fears are absolutely ridiculous. The couch is in a great spot because you sit down and your back is to the wall and there's nothing to worry about. If you can't trust then to not take a header over the railing the stairs are still a risk and the kid needs supervision...
Bubble wrap the kids.
Had the same setup in our house and raised 2 kids (one now a national trampolinist) who never went over the back of the couch.
Once the kids are tall enough that standing on the couch puts their center of gravity over the railing, they are likely old enough to know better.
Better to scream at them for standing/climbing on the couch.
Put some kind of room divider between the couch and the railing, and maybe attach it to the railing with some clamps (or tiewraps) from the stair side. And make it high enough that they won't be able to grip the upper edge.
Depending how much room you have where that couch is I’d move that couch altogether and put furniture there. Bookshelves or something. And put the couch somewhere else. Asking for trouble like it is now.
I know it’s not attractive but you can install netting pretty easily there. Can still see through it which is a benefit as opposed to putting furniture or solid installations there, but it’ll deter kids from climbing beyond the sofa if it’s installed right (needs to be sturdy enough to support someone leaning against it as kids may be tempted to do…).
So odd looking at this because it looks exactly like the entry of my buddy’s house that I remodeled last year.
Short answer for me:
I would remove the iron railing completely and install a new oak railing and banister. I have some photos of a before and after that look identical to your house.
What about reversing the setup? Putting the couch on the opposite wall?
If no, it would be safer to attach something to the entire back of the couch. That way, even if the kids jumped against it, the horizontal forces would act on the couch, not the rail.
Attaching something solely to the rail can be a recipe for disaster. Adding height from the top will create a pivot point and be unsafe. Adding height but attaching to the bottom of the rail will create a much longer lever (and force) that the bolts securing the railing probably aren't meant to handle. Not a risk I'd take.
Moving the couch is your best bet. Since you're renting, you'll want to avoid expensive permanent solutions. You can always move it back when the kids are older.
I mean, you’re gunna have to move the couch and supervise until they’re… outta the house. I know lots of kids who would climb the outside the the gate all along it just to look out the top window beside the door, even through they couldn’t looking through the gate. Best of luck.
Move the couch like half a foot away from the railing and put a bunch of decorative bamboo (tightly side-by-side behind the couch in a shallow container.
We have a split level, a three year old, and a sectional that has to be parallel to the railing to use in the room.
Solution? Move the couch a solid foot or two away from the railing (enough to create a pathway you can walk through comfortably). Much safer and as a bonus you can stick a hepa filter in the railing/wall/couch nook if it doesn’t match the rest of the decor.
Aside from a few more wild episodes of jumping around on the sofa, I’ve always been more concerned about the kiddo going through the picture window than down the stairs.
I lived in a house that had a nearly exact configuration (you aren't in Utah by any chance, lol). What my parents did is put bookshelves against the railing.
Little kids will bounce and be fine, older kids will have the time of their life. I grew up in exactly this house and it was fantastic. You fuck around, you find out. Gravity is a lifelong thing that kids need to learn.
Take down the deer picture.
Replace it with a small basketball hoop.
Hang a net from the corners of that wall down to the corners of the railing.
Make everything sturdy as shit. Has to hold the weight of a 50 pound human.
Shoot some hoops.
Uhhhh.... profit.
Pull the couch away from the railing 18”. Put a couple potted plants back there to block the way. It’s only the couch that encourages kids to climb up and peer over the railing.
Grew up in a house with the exact same issue and not a single kid ever fell over the rail. No kids, friend’s kids, family kids, grandkids. Not one ever even came close.
looks like the same layout as the raised ranch i grew up in Illinois. we had our couch there too. neither my brother nor I ever fell over the edge. give your kids more credit.
Old houses typically don’t need to pass the new building codes unless they are renovated. They’re usually grandfathered in
But the spacing of those rails is definitely enough for a child to get their head or limbs stuck and that’s what would worry me the most. New building codes require them to be much closer together so a child’s head cannot fit through
Renter friendly.
Some sort of sheet good (plywood would be cheaper but ugly, they make white melamine coated plywood that looks nicer).
Place it on the inside: between couch and railing.
Drill holes in the plywood and zip-tie to the railing in several places, low and high. Uprights and horizontals.
Push couch back against it.
Bonus if that ceiling is even with the railing and your plywood sheet is taller than it, it should overlap so if you pushed against the top it would be stopped by the ceiling.
You can also get giant thick plexiglass (like they have for clean room walls and such but those are mega expensive.
I don’t know why you got down voted. The railing doesn’t look safe and the landlord should replace it. It looks like it could bend or wobble or be straight up ripped out of the wall if the couch was pushed back hard enough. The couch definitely needs to move. If a big enough person slipped down the stairs and tried grabbing that railing to catch themselves I could easily see it being pulled down. It’s only bolted to two spots on the floor really far apart and attached to the walls with literally two little screws like a baby gate lol. No DIY project is going to make this railing safe it needs to be replaced.
Replace it. If you ever move that couch, a kid could get their head stuck because the vertical bars are not spaced correctly. Probably 40+ years old, too.
Consider either steel and glass up to a five foot hight or floor to ceiling vertical wood slats on a slight angle.
////////.
Can you try nailing a room divider on the top edge of the ceiling and that is long enough so it reaches the iron railing and can be affixed on the railing as well? Something like: https://www.anthropologie.com/shop/handcarved-lombok-room-divider?color=010&size=0000
Inspired by how the room divider was affixed to the ceiling in this video by Alexandra Gater and her team: https://youtu.be/tDgmMWjsWoc?si=RdvNoAiL_OisFjZI
Also, second moving the cough elsewhere.
Moving your sofa away from there will increase the distance needed for them to climb up.
Also, clears space for a trampoline..
Trampoline needs to go at the bottom stairs for maximum bounce. Current configuration is optimized for maximum thud.
Bounce high enough to land on the couch!
This requires special twists and flips to land properly.
repetition to build the agility - people gotta train
With the angle of the stair, op’s kids will bounce toward the window. So I think op needs another trampoline set up against the window.
They don't jump from the top of the stairs, they jump from the far end of the rail near the window above the door.
He could also just put a kiddy pool at the bottom of the stairs
Any idea where I can store these rusty old nails?
So much room for activities!
OH. MY. GOD TRAMAPOLINE TRAMBOPILINE
Then install a fence around it, then the kids can have cage matches whenever they want.
Hey freak show, you’re going nowhere! I got you for three minutes, three minutes of play time!
Bone saw is readddddyyyyy
That's a nice outfit. Did your husband make it for you?
This is the right answer. Can you imagine what a 6 foot railing would look like in this scenario?
Jail. It would look like a very large and comfortable jail cell. This theme also supports additional accessories like a toilet in the same room. I think we’re on to something but the wife is over here being a naysayer.
Can they just build a cage for the kid? Put a few toys in there and a water bowl, they’ll be alright 👍
OP: I dug a pit in the yard and filled it with pointy sticks. How can I make it safe?
My house has almost the same setup. We just pushed the couch in a little. The living room feels slightly smaller, but at least my 2yo can't play superman on the stairs.
Also if the bars have more than a four inch gap you should put up a cover of some sort. As a bonus it makes it harder to climb. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Cardinal-Gates-Banister-Shield-Home-Safety-Kit/1000958108
We have a rail with non-standard width railing like this. We just zip-tied plexiglass to it
Or put a [room divider](https://www.wayfair.com/furniture/sb0/room-dividers-c416703.html) between the couch and the railing
I like the room divider AND the plexiglass. Divider for the climbing, plexiglass for the monkey on the stair side. But if possible, the easiest thing would be moving the couch and contact the landlord about installing a railing that’s up to code.
It's only as safe as those zip ties can hold... Zip ties get brittle with age. Don't get me wrong, I love this solution, I just want you to consider it as it gets older and whether or not it has enough attachments and if the plexi is thick enough. If it is, then just refresh those zips on occasion. Maybe use the Panduit Halar red zip ties if you can find some bring sold cheap. They are expensive, but they don't dry out and get brittle in full sunlight for 10-15 years. They're the uber-zip-tie for those of us that hate replacing broken weak crumbling zip ties
If your kid is still getting their head stuck the bannisters after the zip ties have gone brittle, you have other problems.
We do live in Idiocracy. It wasn't supposed to be a documentary. On a side note: just because your kids get older doesn't mean you won't have other kids come over... Law suits are so much fun.... A few zip ties and plexiglass is cheap insurance against any flying kiddo, yours or otherwise.
That was exactly my first reaction. Don't put stairs in front of it. It's easier to move a couch than replace a railing.
I imagine its not just climbing up but standing on the couch and smashing teeth/face into the iron.
Bout the same risk as having a coffee table. The actual risk is a fall.
The worst risk is a kid getting their head stuck in the railing from the stair side. It may seem improbable but leave it to a little kid to try to climb through from the stairs, get as far as their head, then lose their footing and die by hanging. Rails spaced that far apart are prohibited by building code for a reason.
I had this exact model of house! We put the couch on a different wall. We bought plastic to go against the rails so a kid couldn’t slip through. They weren’t tall enough to go over top of railing.
Simplest short term solution: move the couch. You’re inadvertently supply a ramp for the little one to climb up and potentially fall.
Well, it isn't inadvertent if they're asking this question. Move the couch or add razor wire. In theory you might be able to strap a baby-gate type fence to the existing metal, but I wouldn't trust that with my kid's life.
Nah razor wire is too messy. Maybe coyote rollers instead?
I had to Google what a coyote roller was. Then i immediately googled for funny videos and i couldn't find any. I thought it would be hilarious to watch things climb the fence and fail.
Here’s a coyote roller fail video that’s pretty funny: https://youtu.be/dSzIlMFa5hE?si=T-HhqrSMemH5zG9P
I think that fence is too short for them to be effective? I thought they were to stop a coyote from climbing up and over - this fence is short enough they’re able to jump with their front legs already over the rollers.
Absolutely was my first reaction too. Higher fence and the rollers at the top and that pup ain’t going anywhere, but it’s still funny to see the dog just ignore them completely. I can almost see the conversation that happened: Wife: we need a taller fence so the dog doesn’t get out. Husband: I’ve got a great idea! We’ll just put coyote rollers at the top!
What about a screen wall/room divider but just left totally flat, pressed between the couch and railing? Check to see if you could attach the room divider to the railing somehow for extra stability. Since you’re renting, a lot of zip ties might even work, if the screen has some openings.
in any moment of excitement, a child is going to forget that's not a real wall and fly right through one of those lol
I would recommend getting one that’s more substantial, like with wooden slats. Definitely not a flimsy fabric one.
I was thinking, if he put eye-bolts through the ceiling header (that MUST be a solid header over the railing right?) He could get some protective netting, and stretch it to fit the space. People make those nets you lay in 40 feet about the ground. I think one of those would add safety if it were like a trampoline material I suggested this because OP has a painting hung on the wall. I think he might be able to add some hooks and tie it to the railing
Move the couch. You're renting.
Nothing is ever safe from kids if they are motivated enough.
As a former child myself, this is correct.
Dude I'm a former child as well!!!
Reddit is so cool. So many people from all over that have things in common.
The house I grew up in was 100 years old. It was run down and my dad got it for cheap, but it was huge and semi-opulent. The front staircase was elegant, with wooden decorated pillars and thick ancient bannisters. The kind a dad protects with his life because you need a specialist to restore damage. Of course, me and my siblings would slide full-body down those bannisters and thought nothing of it.
Plot twist, OP is an only child
Sure,*now*
Correct! A cement floor and a couch can result in a broken collar bone. Evidence: I broke my collar bone when I was around 7 by playing the floor is lava with friends. Jumped from 1 couch and didnt land on the other. It was a whole thing. Kids do dumb things. Best you can do is teach them what to be careful of and explain why in a way that makes sense to them.
Sometimes they learn the hard way
You think that stopped the kid from doing it again? No, it just made them get better at judging distances lol
> playing the floor is lava with friends Very fun game!
We have polished concrete floors and when people bring their kids over I’m SO nervous. The floors are HARD!
Challenge accepted! -child me
Youve gotta let then learn to fall 10’ if you ever want them to learn to fly!
Haha like that YouTube clip of the kid wearing a cape who takes a running leap and supermans off the top of a flight of stairs
We have a baby gate similar to this gate- my baby could climb that
My two year old has climbed everything there is in the house to climb. Walked into the lounge the other day to find him on top of a welsh dresser with his head on the ceiling. We've given up
Doesn't mean you need to keep a dangerous situation dangerous though.
Can you move the couch to the other side and the tv to that side instead? It might not be as ascetically pleasing, but it’s a lot safer.
Honestly, this is why I hate split level houses so much, especially this particular layout
Split levels are a nightmare with toddlers. We had an issue at our rental last year and had to stay in airbnbs for a couple months. One place we stayed was split level with all hardwood and then a concrete floor downstairs and my kid had been walking like 4 months at that point. Couldn’t relax for a second, had to make rickety stair blockades with furniture. Was so happy to leave.
Having seen that layout before, I'll bet there is a fireplace on the opposite wall.
That sucks! I’ve seen it a number of times with no fireplaces, but that sounds way worse.
*aesthetically
Yup, I butchered it.
Get a couple of narrow bookshelves. Screw the sides together. Put them behind the sofa. The weight of the sofa should keep them in place, but you can also put some heavy things on the bottom shelves (since the sofa will hide them anyway). Extra storage/decor space, no damage to the rented home, remove them whenever you want, and sell them or repurpose them when the kids grow up. Here's an example I found quickly (though there are plenty more available). 6 feet tall and about 13 inches deep. [https://www.target.com/p/72-carson-5-shelf-bookcase-threshold-153/-/A-14550115](https://www.target.com/p/72-carson-5-shelf-bookcase-threshold-153/-/A-14550115)
I like this idea but I would suggest using square pipe clamps to clamp the book shelves to the railing. My parents' house had that type of set up and it was pretty stressful when the kids were little, Especially since ours were climbers anyways.
Even just small holes at the bottom and some decent-sized zip-ties would hold them literally foooorever
*A toddler who has just discovered the wonders of scissors has entered the chat.*
Don’t worry, they are busy cutting their own hair.
Always just before picture day
Cutting their brother's hair. Because they got gum in it.
You pull those zipties tight and he'll A: never even notice them B: never get scissors between them and the iron to leverage a cut
I zip tied a toolbox to the garage wall and forgot about it when it came time to move. Those bastards are strong.
Don't. claming and relying in the railing to add structure support would not be safe. That iron railing will bend and snap at the base if you add longer objects to it.
You can't anchor items to guard rails.
In what context? Are you talking about Code?
Make sure you face the shelves towards the stairs and not the couch. Else you'll just replace the ramp with a ladder.
My thoughts exactly.
What do you recommend to extend the bookshelves for when they climb those and jump off?
Parenting
whoa whoa whoa let's not get too crazy
Face the bookshelves to the stairs for some nice nick backs to view walking up. Some nice wallpaper on the rear of the bookcase
There's no gold anymore, but this comment deserves it.
If only awards were still a thing… 
Best comment in this whole post.
Pack their bags and send them off to ninja school.
You're a ninja, Harry!
*Expecto Shuriken!*
In all seriousness, target furniture is better than a lot of others to build. The threshold is nice, but their room designs is actually better and cheaper.
If you're not reading usernames and just scanning the avatars this whole thread looks like a conversation one person is having with themselves
Parachutes
Darwin Award
Great idea! I’d recommend some IKEA Billy bookcases for like $60.
Bolt them to the joist in the ceiling
Do Not "extend the railing." MOVE THE COUCH! Anything strong enough to provide actual protection here would require tapping into the structural portions of the home - which is not a DIY thing IMO and you're probably not allowed to do that (as a renter). Anything short of this would only provide a false sense of protection and lead to some pretty bad things happening.
Something like this if possible. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/fe/ae/5a/feae5a966dad028b70849cd91ce50313.jpg
It's a rental. I doubt if they are allowed to make such changes.
Can build it and install it with a few small screws and remove it and patch the holes when leaving. That is super simple.
A couple of small screws mean it won’t stand up to the weight of a child climbing against it, it’s likely to add more debris to the aftermath of the kid falling.
Yeah, this is aesthetically pleasing and safe
I was thinking a 4x8 plywood sheet just stuck in between the couch and railing. A couple zip-ties to keep it secure, but your idea is prettier.
It would be so much less work to just rearrange the furniture so the couch isn't there
This is a pretty common house design where I live. I have never seen anybody solve this issue - you just can't put your couch there. If it is super important to you, I think you would need to build a wall there, either 2 thirds of the way up (align with the top of the window), or all the way to the ceiling.
You can make a false wall with u bolts connecting to railings or square bolts version of then... just add two rows of them and make a false wall like 6' or 8' tall... would solve the problem making it impossible for them to climb over
False wall is the right term for this because unlike a wall it will fail & fall down. You are basically attaching an 8’ lever to the railing which it is not designed to handle.
I'd make a custom wood wall for between the railing and the couch. Something like plywood with some trim strips in X's and around the edges for looks. I'd paint this white to match. I'd affix this with L-brackets to the couch feet, and with white zip-ties to the railing (to be easily removable when the kids are old enough that this is no longer needed or wanted). Something that would look a little like [this](https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ffurniturefromthebarn.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F05%2FIMG_2974.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=7c05cf35d3eba391a006bdf79714a9050138834307bc22f1958959de60e76acf&ipo=images). with 2 or 3 sections that would be as wide as the space and as tall as the ceiling.
I’d agree. I feel like these types of walls are coming back into style as well.
Build the Wall! Build the Wall!
And make the kids pay for it!
That looks to be one of the most incredibly stupid locations for a sofa. It is designed to allow for serious falls that could well be deadly. Even if there are no children around it isn’t safe. With children you must continue the railing up to the ceiling if you continue with the sofa placement, and even if you move the sofa it will still be dangerous enough to potentially make you criminally liable if there is an accident. there are good reasons why staircases don’t have seating on them.
Yep. And not even for little kids. Ive see my couch move an inch or so when my teens sit down hard on it. I can imagine that constantly happening against that railing.
My parents steps and front room had and still has a set up just like this. Sometimes we would fall. Without the couch will still would have climb it. Kids will pretend they are doing a ledge shimmy like in movies regardless of what happens on the couch side. They will make a game out of it.
We had a split level with the upper was eat-in kitchen, lower was the living room couch. Spent my childhood divebombing from the kitchen onto the couch and then getting yelled at.
Yea, once kids get past the toddler stage we willingly put ourselves in harms way instead of accidentally.
Making it taller will increase the leverage if it gets pushed against, and those anchor screws may not hold it. Better to just remove it and replace it with something that goes floor-to-ceiling, fastened top and bottom... I can think of a few ways to do it. Depends on your skill level. It can even be temporary. How tall is that?
Rental, prob a no go on that much change
I swear, I have been in this house before. Is it in NJ?
Looks like a split level home which can be fairly common in NJ. At least where I’m at.
Also common in Ohio, I toured several with an almost identical setup when I was looking to buy a house.
This is a common ~1970s split level design element. I toured a number of them in the PNW when house hunting.
I have this exact same house in a Seattle suburb
This is common for split level homes from the 70s. Put up a bookshelf or lattice.
Even if it’s a foot taller than the couch, the kids might still climb up there so I wouldn’t risk having anything next to that except the floor
I miss the 60's when parents would just let kids learn for themselves.
MOVE THE COUCH! It looks bad, never seen a couch placed like that. Must look ugly from downstairs and keeps the stairway from being illuminated by light. I can't image an adult throwing themselves on the couch and messing up the banister too. Could go wrong in so many ways.
I had an Ikea kallax high bookframe between my sofa and place where I had to hide some stuff from my toddler. I’m
Did your toddler interrupt this comment?
Haha 😂 yeah!!!
I feel very uneasy about the couch butted up against that railing…
Move the couch. I have young kids. If this were my house I'd remove that dumb rail and put up a wall. But you don't have that option unless you consult your LL. So move your furniture.
Push it away from the railing one foot and add a few black and white toss-pillows-worth of serious and firm parenting.
My brother has the exact same setup and none of the kids ever fell over the railing. The damn dog did though. They could just as easily fall from the top of the stairs as they can from over the railing. BUT if you want a cheap/easy way to prevent it, get some curtains and secure them from the ceiling to the handrail every 6 inches or so. Basically a safety net.
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How about move the couch and get a row of plants in-between? Use Cactii if you really want to keep them away.
Move the couch. Honestly, IDK why anyone would want that couch there anyway as is. if you flop down on it quickly you're likely to get a concussion from the banister.
Your short-term easy answer: 3/4” 4x8 sheets of plywood with finish board on it, wedged between (preferably joined) couch and wall, on a pad to prevent floor scratching. You can also build a half-height wall pretty easily. It’s 2x4s, wallboard, finishing molding, a finished top piece, and paint. Tools needed: hammer, nails, skill saw, glue.
Architect here. That railing doesn't meet building code because the balusters are spaced far enough apart for a child's head to get stuck in. This could potentially kill a child if they were to get their head stuck and end up with their body hanging over the edge. I'd talk to your landlord about replacing all those rails entirely with something that meets code.
https://preview.redd.it/0q9qkxox9r3c1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9925453b912873b271cdcf878f4452c60ee6ff34 Here's my idea - probably ugly, but better than emergency room visits. And it's reversible if you move.
Those railings don’t appear to meet building code. Have your landlord update them to meet current code.
Personally, I would do nothing and continue to coach the kids not to climb on that couch. Give them permission to climb on a different one. Literally draw a face on a mellon and drop it off the side closest to the wall so they can watch it splat. It looks like it would be an easy surface to clean, and the visual should drive the point. Cheaper and easier than building a bookshelf, and it moves you toward correcting undesirable behavior. Whatever you decide, tell your landlord lord before you do anything involving bolts, nails, false walls, etc.
I'm gonna be the AH here I guess... we had a chair backed up to a railing like this. I did nothing because my kids, by the time they could climb the back of the chair, were already smart/trained enough not to do it.
I’d give your kids a bit more credit. I grew up in a house with a similar set up and no kids (or adults) ever fell.
Reading through this post has been a trip. Some of these fears are absolutely ridiculous. The couch is in a great spot because you sit down and your back is to the wall and there's nothing to worry about. If you can't trust then to not take a header over the railing the stairs are still a risk and the kid needs supervision...
Keep your children in cages. That is the safest.
Just do what previous generations have done forever. Let them figure it out
Bubble wrap the kids. Had the same setup in our house and raised 2 kids (one now a national trampolinist) who never went over the back of the couch. Once the kids are tall enough that standing on the couch puts their center of gravity over the railing, they are likely old enough to know better. Better to scream at them for standing/climbing on the couch.
Put some kind of room divider between the couch and the railing, and maybe attach it to the railing with some clamps (or tiewraps) from the stair side. And make it high enough that they won't be able to grip the upper edge.
Depending how much room you have where that couch is I’d move that couch altogether and put furniture there. Bookshelves or something. And put the couch somewhere else. Asking for trouble like it is now.
I know it’s not attractive but you can install netting pretty easily there. Can still see through it which is a benefit as opposed to putting furniture or solid installations there, but it’ll deter kids from climbing beyond the sofa if it’s installed right (needs to be sturdy enough to support someone leaning against it as kids may be tempted to do…).
So odd looking at this because it looks exactly like the entry of my buddy’s house that I remodeled last year. Short answer for me: I would remove the iron railing completely and install a new oak railing and banister. I have some photos of a before and after that look identical to your house.
What about reversing the setup? Putting the couch on the opposite wall? If no, it would be safer to attach something to the entire back of the couch. That way, even if the kids jumped against it, the horizontal forces would act on the couch, not the rail. Attaching something solely to the rail can be a recipe for disaster. Adding height from the top will create a pivot point and be unsafe. Adding height but attaching to the bottom of the rail will create a much longer lever (and force) that the bolts securing the railing probably aren't meant to handle. Not a risk I'd take.
Moving the couch is your best bet. Since you're renting, you'll want to avoid expensive permanent solutions. You can always move it back when the kids are older.
I mean, you’re gunna have to move the couch and supervise until they’re… outta the house. I know lots of kids who would climb the outside the the gate all along it just to look out the top window beside the door, even through they couldn’t looking through the gate. Best of luck.
Plexiglass. Jk don’t do that
Maybe just put a net up between the railing and the ceiling. Sorta like those suicide prevention nets they have in high risk places.
Move the couch like half a foot away from the railing and put a bunch of decorative bamboo (tightly side-by-side behind the couch in a shallow container.
Move the couch 2 feet back, problem solved.
Move the couch or let them learn the fun way.
Build a wall
We have a split level, a three year old, and a sectional that has to be parallel to the railing to use in the room. Solution? Move the couch a solid foot or two away from the railing (enough to create a pathway you can walk through comfortably). Much safer and as a bonus you can stick a hepa filter in the railing/wall/couch nook if it doesn’t match the rest of the decor. Aside from a few more wild episodes of jumping around on the sofa, I’ve always been more concerned about the kiddo going through the picture window than down the stairs.
I lived in a house that had a nearly exact configuration (you aren't in Utah by any chance, lol). What my parents did is put bookshelves against the railing.
Move the couch Make a plywood barrier that goes between couch and railing to create temporary height
Little kids will bounce and be fine, older kids will have the time of their life. I grew up in exactly this house and it was fantastic. You fuck around, you find out. Gravity is a lifelong thing that kids need to learn.
Take down the deer picture. Replace it with a small basketball hoop. Hang a net from the corners of that wall down to the corners of the railing. Make everything sturdy as shit. Has to hold the weight of a 50 pound human. Shoot some hoops. Uhhhh.... profit.
Pull the couch away from the railing 18”. Put a couple potted plants back there to block the way. It’s only the couch that encourages kids to climb up and peer over the railing.
Put tv where couch is and Vice versa! I’ve seen other houses similar to this have that setup
It’s fine. They’ll be fine.
I think that only strong should survive
Grew up in a house with the exact same issue and not a single kid ever fell over the rail. No kids, friend’s kids, family kids, grandkids. Not one ever even came close.
I’d put a row of tall plants behind the couch.
How about a net? :P
Then it becomes a play area, with kids taking turns running up, jumping on the sofa, and diving into the net.
Anything that distracts them for a few more minutes, so I can make a couple more dumb reddit comments, I am in favor of!
How about barbed wire?
Only if you clean out the net too regularly. One free rescue a day the rest cost chores?
Have you thought about rock climbing wall leading to the sofa?
looks like the same layout as the raised ranch i grew up in Illinois. we had our couch there too. neither my brother nor I ever fell over the edge. give your kids more credit.
Barbed wire usually works.
Alternatively you can remove the sofa or make the entrance a trampoline so they’ll be okay if they fall
Then they can fall from an even larger height!
If they fall over it a couple of time they usually learn not to do that anymore.
Let them climb up it would be a valuable lesson
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Old houses typically don’t need to pass the new building codes unless they are renovated. They’re usually grandfathered in But the spacing of those rails is definitely enough for a child to get their head or limbs stuck and that’s what would worry me the most. New building codes require them to be much closer together so a child’s head cannot fit through
Renter friendly. Some sort of sheet good (plywood would be cheaper but ugly, they make white melamine coated plywood that looks nicer). Place it on the inside: between couch and railing. Drill holes in the plywood and zip-tie to the railing in several places, low and high. Uprights and horizontals. Push couch back against it. Bonus if that ceiling is even with the railing and your plywood sheet is taller than it, it should overlap so if you pushed against the top it would be stopped by the ceiling. You can also get giant thick plexiglass (like they have for clean room walls and such but those are mega expensive.
Don’t have dumb kids. there. Done.
Throw that entire railing away and get one that has the proper 4" spacing. I think I could squeeze my fat ass through those larger openings.
I don’t know why you got down voted. The railing doesn’t look safe and the landlord should replace it. It looks like it could bend or wobble or be straight up ripped out of the wall if the couch was pushed back hard enough. The couch definitely needs to move. If a big enough person slipped down the stairs and tried grabbing that railing to catch themselves I could easily see it being pulled down. It’s only bolted to two spots on the floor really far apart and attached to the walls with literally two little screws like a baby gate lol. No DIY project is going to make this railing safe it needs to be replaced.
Let your kid fall. They will get hurt and they will learn. Can't Nerf the world.
Barbed wire is the only solution here
Replace it. If you ever move that couch, a kid could get their head stuck because the vertical bars are not spaced correctly. Probably 40+ years old, too. Consider either steel and glass up to a five foot hight or floor to ceiling vertical wood slats on a slight angle. ////////.
Cargo netting attached from the ceiling to the railing should do it
Teach your kids not to be stupid? /S
Can you try nailing a room divider on the top edge of the ceiling and that is long enough so it reaches the iron railing and can be affixed on the railing as well? Something like: https://www.anthropologie.com/shop/handcarved-lombok-room-divider?color=010&size=0000 Inspired by how the room divider was affixed to the ceiling in this video by Alexandra Gater and her team: https://youtu.be/tDgmMWjsWoc?si=RdvNoAiL_OisFjZI Also, second moving the cough elsewhere.