How to block off an area - but still access it

Lillys_mum

Yes I know the title sounds weird but it will all become clear in a minute.

At the moment our cats spend overnight in the downstairs loo (which is very big and they have a huge scratching post in there with individual spaces for their beds) but we are getting another cat next year which is a large breed so we would like to give them the run of downstairs overnight.
We don't want them coming into the bedrooms just incase of any accidents - plus they play so much they keep you awake!!! - and keeping the doors shut is not an option as our 3yr old wakes frequently during the night and is in and out of her room and ours.

We are looking for a solution to maybe block off the stairs either at the top or bottom which we could then open up again during the day so we can get up and down.
I was thinking about some sort of doors maybe sliding doors at the top of the stairs running along the whole top of the banister but I don't know how easy that would be to fit or where I could get anything for it - would probably have to be glass too so we wouldn't block off the light as we have no windows going up the stairs or at the top as we are in a semi and the stairs are on the joining side.

Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

sooz

Are there any other rooms downstairs you could close the doors to?
My cat, if he chooses to come in at night...and with the heating now on he does...is confined to the (large) kitchen overnight. He has a hammock on the radiator, food, water, toys & an unlocked catflap. If we left the kitchen door open, he pounces on our bed, & tries to wake us up at 3am.

Lillys_mum

No, they need to have access to the downstairs loo as they are toilet trained and don't use a litter tray and are indoor cats only.

a_star_3

just use baby doors on the stairs at the bottom. but can't they just jump over anyway?

PasturesNew

I would suggest a glass door proper, but that would involve building regulations - firstly the door can't be closer than 3' from the top or bottom stair - and secondly the glass would have to be of a certain safety method.

TomsMom

a_star wrote: »

just use baby doors on the stairs at the bottom. but can't they just jump over anyway?

Baby doors have gaps between the spindles which cats can squeeze through, but if it's a solid baby door a cat could easily jump it.

McKneff

have you thought of a concertina door?

Lillys_mum

I didn't realise there would be building regs involved - I suppose I just didn't think about anything like that.

We are now thinking about one of those folding doors at the bottom of the stairs.
The way our stairs are you have to go up 2 steps then you are on a large square so you turn to the left which leads you up stairs to another large square then you turn left and go up another step to the top landing.

so we are thinking about putting a folding door on the bottom square so it folds back against the wall when we want to leave it open. It only really needs to be closed overnight as the bedroom doors are closed during the day.

Stair gates would be no use - we have a Bengal who can climb anything!!!

McKneff

Lillys_mum wrote: »

I didn't realise there would be building regs involved - I suppose I just didn't think about anything like that.

We are now thinking about one of those folding doors at the bottom of the stairs.
The way our stairs are you have to go up 2 steps then you are on a large square so you turn to the left which leads you up stairs to another large square then you turn left and go up another step to the top landing.

so we are thinking about putting a folding door on the bottom square so it folds back against the wall when we want to leave it open. It only really needs to be closed overnight as the bedroom doors are closed during the day.

Stair gates would be no use - we have a Bengal who can climb anything!!!

i think thats what i meant by a concertina door.

Lillys_mum

PasturesNew wrote: »

I would suggest a glass door proper, but that would involve building regulations - firstly the door can't be closer than 3' from the top or bottom stair - and secondly the glass would have to be of a certain safety method.

Can you point me in the direction of these building regulations, I am struggling to find the info online.
Thanks

mikey72

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/br/BR_PDF_ADN_1998.pdf
Part N covers the glazing, I'm not sure about the 3' rule though.