Need a REALLY strong gate for room opening

[Larwyn]

This question is for the woodworkers, carpenters, etc. out there. My son is severly autistic, and when we need to get something done (like make dinner) we contain him in our empty dining room. One of the entrances to the dining room is right off the entrance foyer, and it is essentially missing a wall - the opening is 8 feet wide. We managed to find a pet gate that fit the opening, but he has by now destroyed the gate - he is too big and active, and it was too flimsy.

Any ideas how I can keep him in the room without resorting to major destruction/construction? We can't put a wall there, and no door is that big. I'm thinking somehow fitting 2 x 4's across, but can't think of how to attach them to the wall. I'd like to be able to remove them, if possible. Essentially "fence" him in.

Any ideas????

Easiest would be to attach a permanent six foot or so tall iron "railing" from wall to wall with a door way. You would have to step over the bottom rail at the doorway. It could be built from steel with a nice wrought iron look. If I were closer I would be willing to take on the job myself.

You deserve praise for raising your child, not ridicule. Those who see your plan as a prison are clueless to the situation. I commend you for your dedication.

[ERV]

Hi
I build a lot of decks with rails around them. Some folks need a gate to keep the kids safe. Use your stair rail idea for the main part and then your gate. At the end of your railing go to the ceiling for more of an anchor. This will give you a spot to make a good point to hook the gate. You can make the pole to the ceiling out of a pole so it looks nice. The ceiling will be an easy fix if you take it down at some point. If you just use a 1x4 at the ceiling it would be just a few screw holes to fix. If you need some help with a plan just email me, I can give you some ideas and maybe a drawing of it.

[tearhead]

First, let me congratulate you for trying to work so hard with a situation that many people would have given up on. You're trying to do right by him and keep him safe but also you want him around you and part of the family. That is wonderful! I honestly don't know if I could do that.

What about, for part of the open span, putting in a room divider consisting of angled 2 by 4's (vertical), attached to a top and bottom 2 by 4 so that it would not be a solid wall, but would be see-through-able yet sturdy and attractive. It would obviously have to be anchored but could be removable, e.g., having bolts that could be shot into receptacles in the floor and ceiling. The open span could have a security gate.

But I have to admit the spiderweb idea has appeal, too!

[Miriam C.]

I drove by a playground with a web thing for climbing........I would hate to see him hurt by climbing with a wood floor for a landing zone. Now if he is really good with those things.....

My friend daughter had a computer for her son. He loved to play games on it and was very good with it. He tended to be very sedate though...

[Kelleyaynn]

Thank you all for your ideas. I like the idea of using some railing (stair or wrought iron) in some fashion. For the time being, we will likely just nail three 2 x 4's across the 8 ft. span. Then, when we have more time (hah), and money (also hah) I'm going to see which of those options will work best for the situation.

I really appreciate the creative ideas from this community. I figured as much, given how creative our teardrops are!