Spending time on a deck in your backyard is a great way to enjoy the weather after being inside all day. But if you’re building a new deck and have children, you should take extra precautions to make keep them from hurting themselves once it’s finished. Remember these tips for making your decking safe for kids to create a space that your whole family can use without a worry.
Install Gates and Railing Guards
One of the main concerns is falling. Fortunately, you can install a gate in front of the stairs to lower the chances of kids tripping and stumbling. Furthermore, your rails probably have some spaces between the vertical pieces so you can see the yard beyond. While this is a nice design feature, young children may squeeze into the gaps or climb over the rails. To stop this from happening, you can add railing guards made of mesh. The guards will maintain visibility while keeping your kids from going through or over the rails.
Build With Plastic Lumber
Wood is the most common material people use when constructing decks. While it features nice colors and natural graining patterns, wood can pose risks. It can break down from water and sun exposure, creating splinters and becoming less stable. Even if you protect it with sealants and stains, you need to stay on top of its maintenance, as those treatments wear off. There are also negative health effects linked with wood preservation. Given this, consider building with plastic lumber to make your decking safe for kids. Plastic lumber won’t split into sharp pieces or rot. Moreover, you don’t need to treat it with potentially harmful chemicals to sustain it.
Add Extra Lighting
For afternoons and nights, your deck needs clear illumination. You might already have a light fixture or two on the side of your home to use, but these may not be sufficient to keep your kids from bumping into something or falling in the dark. Add extra lighting directly into stair steps, ledges, and rails to make sure that every section of the deck stays visible. You could also put \up string lights to extend the brightness overhead while simultaneously decorating the space.
