Right after they’ve taken their first steps, it’ll only take them a short time and they are all over the place, crawling, running, and jumping. At this point, you’ve only got one option if you care about their safety (which of course you do); baby proofing. While childproofing may involve quite a number of things, one of the most important areas to focus on is the floor. Those little feet need protection. As you protect them from the dangers that lurk around the electrical outlets, medicine, and whatnot, childproofing your floor is also important.
Sometimes even that high-quality, extremely beautiful, and durable hardwood floor you got from District Floor Depot may require some childproofing. This is because as they learn to walk or when playing around the home, a minor tumble can turn out to be a major accident. But what can you do to avoid that?
Here are some interesting childproof floor designs you may want to consider for your home.
1. Childproof Carpeting
This is one of the most common and popular flooring options for toddlers. As we all know, most carpets are soft and tender to walk on. Childproof carpeting options are comfortable and giving. They’ll help protect your child against possible bumps and bruises they might sustain from their innocent curiosity. Nonetheless, childproof carpet flooring comes with a few drawbacks. They are prone to accumulating dust mites, mildew, and mold, which could be another hazard for your young ones if not well addressed. However, you can tackle this challenge by ensuring that your carpet flooring is cleaned regularly.
Most people prefer to carpet their floors weeks before the arrival of the baby. This is because some carpets may contain an annoying smell when new. There are also patio carpeting ideas that will help take the edge off concrete floors. These are usually the hessian type of mats that will also help child proof any floor in your house as well as the patio.
2. Artificial Grass Carpets
These carpets will also provide you with the same child proofing qualities. The artificial grass doesn’t have to be kept outside, they can as well be used indoors. They’re soft, comfortable, and your child will have fun playing on them.
3. Non-Skid Step Pads
Staircases are some of the most common danger spots for small children. Shoring up the stairs with a carpet or carpet runner will help make your stairs safer for your kid. Installing non-skid stair pads will also help prevent your child from sliding down the stairs because they provide the necessary traction. But if you want to make it even safer for them, you may want to consider installing baby gates both at the top and at the bottom of the stairs.
4. Cork Flooring
Cork is a great option for the floors you want your child to spend time on. Most flooring experts recommend cork flooring for childproofing floors because it’s eco-friendly. In addition to this, cork floors are warm, anti-allergic, soft and antimicrobial. Cork is very forgiving and it’ll help cushion your child from falls.
5. Rugs
For concrete, tile, and hardwood floors, it will be a great idea to cover them with softer materials. Rugs work the same way as carpets do. Bigger rugs are especially ideal in child playrooms. You’ll want them to crawl on softer floor surfaces. You may also need to consider larger foam mats to cover areas that are solely reserved for playing. For the floor rugs that are movable, it’s always a good idea to render them immovable, especially on ceramic and on tile floors. You can do this by sliding a non-skid rug pad under the rugs. Ideally, you can also turn the rug over, apply lines of caulking glue, give it time to dry, and then turn it over on its right side. This will help keep the rug in place and from slipping.
The above childproof floor designs are not DIY projects. For the best results, it’s important to let professionals handle it. When the job is done, you can rest easy knowing that your child is crawling, running, and jumping up and down on a safe, kid-friendly floor.
