How to Make a Baby Gate for a Staircase

Measure the width of the area between the top or bottom stair and the wall. Use the height of your baby to determine the height of the gate. Only your baby's head should rise above the top of the gate.

Cut four pieces of wood. The wood will be laying widthwise to form the gate. Make sure that the four pieces are as long as the width required minus five inches. These four pieces will form the top and bottom of the gate's frame.

Cut two additional pieces to form the side post that the baby gate will lock into; the post will stand vertically. The wood pieces should be the required height and 4 inches wide.

Arrange the wood pieces in three separate sets. Two pieces will be glued together to form the top of the frame, two more will be glued together to form the bottom of the frame, and the two matching pieces will be glued together to form the side post.

Run two lines of wood glue along the insides of each set of boards. Then sandwich the boards together until the glue sticks.

Punch 3/4-inch nails into the corner of each set of boards with a nail gun to secure them. Add additional nails to the board sets every six inches.

Prop the set of glued boards for the bottom of the frame on its side. Then use a drill with a 3/4-inch spade bit to create baluster holes every two to three inches.

Prop the set of glued boards for the top of the frame on its side. Then use a drill with an 11/16-inch spade bit to create baluster holes every four inches.

Add wood glue to the top and bottoms of the balusters. Then secure the balusters into the baluster holes in the top and bottom sets of frame boards.

Drive a nail through the side of the top and bottom frame boards into each baluster hole with a nail gun. The nail should go through the side of the board and into the glued baluster inside the hole.

Screw wheels on the bottom of the frame. Center a wheel on both the left and right sides underneath the bottom frame board using a Phillips screwdriver or electric drill. When the frame is standing up, the wheels will allow the unlocked baby gate to roll back and forth.

Secure the edge of the side post to the wall using two L-brackets. Position one side of the L-bracket flat against the edge of the top-front of the post; make sure that the other end of the "L" extends outward, away from the side post. Screw the L-bracket into the side post. Butt the free end of the L-bracket flat against the wall. If screwing into drywall, predrill a hole for a drywall anchor, insert the anchor, place the bracket over the anchor hole and screw it in place. Repeat the process to screw the second L-bracket near the bottom of the post. The side post is now secured to the wall by two separate L-brackets.

Screw a hinge into either the left or right side of the top and bottom frame boards of the baby gate. Screw the other side of the hinge into stair post. Make sure that the hinge placement allows the gate to close flush with the side post.

Screw the lock end of the gate latch lock into the other side of the baby gate. Make sure that the lock is placed on the side where the baby is usually not. Screw the latch into the baby gate post. Test the baby gate to make sure that the latch closes into the lock properly.