Decks are a great place for the whole family to enjoy, even the kids. But, did you ever wonder how to be sure your deck is kid safe?

Making a child friendly deck can be an easy chore when a tiny amount of common sense is incorporated in the design and good, practical childproofing measures happen on the back end of the construction process. If you have a child, building a kid friendly deck will be an important part of the design process. In order to handle both adults and kids, the deck itself has to be roomy enough to accommodate the entire family, but it will also need to have some additional safety measures as well.

If babies or toddlers are present, or will be, including a railing system is necessary if the deck is to be elevated above a foot or so. Accidents can occur and a fall from a few feet can make for serious injury, so the proper way to prevent the problem is to plan for it and take the offensive. If a deck is elevated and stairs are in the design, take care to be sure the entrance to the stairs is designed to work with a child gate.

When selecting materials for the decking, make sure to pick materials that are rounded and smooth. If the deck wood has sharp edges, make sure to sand it down and inspect it periodically to prevent splintering.

Consider building an overhang. With tiny children, a canopy or overhang is a great idea. The blazing sun is not a child