Probably a really daft stairgate question...

[Princess]

After doing endless hours of research, I decided which stairgate we needed and was about to press "buy" when I noticed we have a wall to fix one side of the stairgate onto, but on the other side there is only a wooden, carved spindle. There is no flat surface to attach brackets to. I can't imagine we're the only one's with stairs like this so has anyone else found a solution to safely fitting a stairgate? And which one did you go for?

[Emski]

You can buy spindle attachments. I haven't got one so can't say how well they work though, I'm afraid.

www.safetots.co.uk is quite useful. We found one with a catflap!

[Princess]

Thanks Emski, that's really useful. I hadn't thought about the cats but the catflap will be ideal for us too. Who'd have thought buying a stairgate could be so complicated!

[Princess]

Oops just read the cat flap solution isn't suitable with children for entrapment reasons. Oh well I hope our old cats will find a way over it!

[njc97]

You can get the stairgate you screw into the wall on the one side (so doesn't need to attach on other side). Or put it somewhere slightly different (we've got one a yard onto the landing to it has two walls either side rather than banister). Or not have one and keep a close eye on little one (we don't have one at bottom of stairs)

[Belle]

We (with help from father in law) used a bit of wood, nailed into the bannister to provide the flat surface you need. In theory you can do it with a Y bracket too but our bannister just didn't work with that. I too found stairgates unbelievably complicated but the above mentioned safetots is quite good for being v specific re measurements etc.