Home improvement can throw any number of curve balls at you, whether it’s painting a wall or building a whole extension. However, if you have children, your priorities may have to shift from aesthetics to practicalities and ensuring the space is as safe as possible, especially if you are planning on having more children.

By taking steps to ensure that your construction, design and materials are as child-friendly as possible, you’ll be able to spend more time using your new space, rather than keeping it free of inquisitive little ones.

Sloping Roofs

For the majority of houses in the UK, sloping roofs are going to be the biggest inconvenience when creating a livable loft space. Even if your loft will not be used on a daily basis as a bedroom or office, ceiling height can still be a frustrating problem.

Thought most sloped roofs will not cause a problem for small children, depending on the angle of the slope and the height of your child, the low angles could cause children to bump their heads if they’re not used to the space.

In this case, opting for dormer windows may be the safest option for you and your family. Not only could this give you peace of mind that your little ones can run around without hurting themselves, but the extra space will also benefit the taller members of you family, making it more likely that the space will be used regularly.

Of course, changing the structure of your roof is not as simple as painting the walls, and will depend on your budget and time constraints. If installing dormer windows is not financially viable, it may be worth getting creative with your furniture choices. By placing cabinets close to the wall around your loft space, you may be able to prevent your children from playing where the ceiling is lowest, and reduce the risk of them getting hurt.

Windows

Even if you choose not to install dormers, windows should still be at the forefront of your mind when childproofing your loft. It may be case that your dreams of having that Juliet balcony will need to wait until your children are old enough to not try and squeeze through the barriers.  

Due to the shape of the space, most roof windows will take the form of skylights, placed somewhere on the slope of the roof. In order to keep you and your family safe, these should ideally be kept accessible to everyone in case of a fire. If your child is old enough to be left unsupervised (during playtime or naptime for example), it is important that they are able to access an escape route by themselves in case of an emergency. As such, child proof locks or other restrictive devices may not be advisable if there is no alternative emergency exit out of your loft space. Given that it’s equally dangerous to let your child climb out of an unlocked window, it may be worth investing in a window alarm that will alert you should your child attempt to open a window through sheer curiosity.

Stairs

While stairs pose very few problems for adults without mobility issues, they can become your worst nightmare the moment a child (particularly a small child) enters your home. These worries will only extend to loft conversions, and with a whole extra floor to contend with, stair safety will be hugely important when planning your conversion.

Depending on the size of both your budget and your space, a full staircase may simply not be possible, even if you’ll be using your loft on a semi-regular basis. If a ladder is your only solution for accessing your loft space, it is vital that it be a retractable one that can be safely stowed away when not in use. This will prevent children from attempting to climb up and down when unsupervised.

For those installing a fixed staircase, choosing the right design is an important factor in regards to child safety. For example, a spiral staircase may look great, but could pose a greater danger to your child should they manage to sneak away to play on it. Regardless of what kind of staircase you choose, using the same techniques that are applicable to your regular staircase (a baby gate and a stern look) can help keep your child safe.

Design

Even if your loft conversion looks structurally very similar to other rooms in your house, or you’ve taken steps during construction to include child friendly elements, it is still worth remembering to include child proofing in your design plans. You don’t want to spend a great deal of money on a dormer window, only to have your child injure themselves on furniture or design accents.

Blinds are one such item that’s likely to be on your shopping list. Investing in cordless blinds may be a good idea if your child is tall enough to be at risk of getting caught in them. When it comes to buying furniture, parents are likely to already be aware of the risks surrounding large pieces of furniture, especially if you’re planning on keeping your loft as a playroom. Large items such as cabinets or wardrobes should be fixed to the wall, and freestanding shelves should be avoided in the eventuality that they could be pulled over by a determined little one.

The extent to which you need to childproof your loft will depend on the age of your children, as well as its intended use in the long run. An office space will likely need less attention to childproofing than a playroom in which they’ll be spending most of their time. This may mean that childproofing has to encroach on your best-laid plans for the space, and that compromises will need to be made in its aesthetics and design.

With their sloped ceilings and strange design requirements, loft conversions can be a tricky space to navigate when it comes to child safety, and it may be necessary to consider these factors even as early as the budgeting stage. However, with planning, foresight and the right design elements, you can create a functional space that the whole family can enjoy without any unpleasant bumps or scrapes.

This post was written by The Loft Shop. Having supplied in excess of one million happy customers, The Loft Shop has become the first reference point for loft conversion products in the UK including roof windows and ladders.