Puppy Proofing my Balcony.

[kjcmsw]

Originally Posted by concretegurl

Plexiglass!...
If you do use chicken wire don't buy the super thin really bendable stuff buy the small sturdy squares one (quarter inch sided squares-very cheap by the bundle)...and you can use a spray paint (for metal) to paint it a color that matches your decor on the balcony...it's all in how you finish it.

Good point - yes, we got some pretty heavy duty stuff - hasn't bent so far.

[greyacresmom]

We used the plastic lattice that you can get at Home Depot or the like. You can cut to size and still looks nice. They even have different colors you can choose from.

[Baby Pepper]

We used plexiglass on our side gate. It goes up high enough so that Pepper can't use it to climb. I really loved this solution. Effective AND looks good!

[yorkieusa]

I would be scared to use any soft material, because of the risk of their possibly getting under the bottom edge and falling.

[manolos mom]

Originally Posted by Yorkiedaze

Here is an inexpensive but sturdy and dressy looking way to dog proof a balcony. We had wrought iron railing put on our balcony and of course we were then faced with them being too far apart for our little girls, so we went to ACE hardware and got two things. This very tough netting and ties. (This netting also comes in a light cream color). We will put it up when the rains have quit here in CA.

I used this on my daughters balcony, works great and your right its cheaper...

[Ringo1]

Originally Posted by lisaly

I have plexiglass on my stairs on both of my landings in my house and it worked great with my girls. It looks good and definitely allayed my fears of them falling through. The weight of the plexiglass just keeps it in place, so although we were planning on securing it, we didn't have to. I don't know how it would be outside with the wind without securing it.

Hmm. I have an upstairs landing that looks out over my great room. Right now, we have 3 baby gates in front of the stair rails ~ works, but doesn't look so hot.

How did you do the plexiglass between the posts? Or just one solid sheet, maybe cut down, to go across the entire thing?

I would love to see pics because I am really trying to figure out what to do.

[concretegurl]

Originally Posted by Ringo1

Hmm. I have an upstairs landing that looks out over my great room. Right now, we have 3 baby gates in front of the stair rails ~ works, but doesn't look so hot.

How did you do the plexiglass between the posts? Or just one solid sheet, maybe cut down, to go across the entire thing?

I would love to see pics because I am really trying to figure out what to do.

Personally I'd use one solid piece-easier to do, remove, and less "invasive installation" for a renter etc.
Here's a couple images I found...
Opie & Carson Carpentry - Custom Plexiglass Balcony Barrier For Cats
http://petiteretreats.net/luxury_dog_houses.html
You might find a lot more designs if you look at child safety more than dog safety but I think it's the same deal pretty much...

You have to scroll down on this one to see the indoor version for a stair case with for a child-LOL I think this is more to keep things from being dropped but would work great for a dog too... Balcony and Deck Safety: Opie & Carson Carpentry - Custom Plexiglass Balcony Barrier For Cats

For those using the roll of plastic mesh-is it really that strong and would also hold up again a dog pulling (scratching with paws) or chewing on it? I'd really consider it as long as it was a durable-both for price and it looks a lot easier to install/remove.

[laci32]

Originally Posted by ArmaniMan

I moved a few months ago and now have a really nice size balcony- now that the weather is finally getting nice, I would love to sit out there with the dogs sometimes but not have to tie them up. The balcony is on the second floor and the bars are way too far apart- the dogs would be through them in a second and Armani's ears may be huge but not big enough to fly I'm sure.

Anyone have any ideas how to secure the balcony so its safe? A neighbor has put up chicken wire on theirs but it looks pretty bad- if all else fails I will do the same- obviously safety comes first, but if it is possible not the compromise style I would prefer that! It has to be a temporary solution since I don't own the place- and the bars are not wood, so nailing anything is out.

Thanks for any advice

The best thing is lattice they can still see out but saftly

[lisaly]

We have two landings. The top one has one long sheet cut to size. There is also a piece forming an L so we did the same over there. I took photos of our lower landing, which we did the same with the exception of it being a different size. My husband had to shape the plexi so that the corners would go nicely against the wood. I don't know if you can get a good idea from seeing these photos, so if you need me to take more, I'd be happy to. I took the photos of the lower landing because it was easier to do. If you need photos of the upper one, let me know. I hope this helps.

The first one shows how you get reflections from the plexi. In my case, it's of the ugly brick wall that was here when we bought the house.

Make sure you scroll down on the vertical photo to see how it needed to be cut out a bit. I don't know if you'll need to do that.

Originally Posted by Ringo1

Hmm. I have an upstairs landing that looks out over my great room. Right now, we have 3 baby gates in front of the stair rails ~ works, but doesn't look so hot.

How did you do the plexiglass between the posts? Or just one solid sheet, maybe cut down, to go across the entire thing?

I would love to see pics because I am really trying to figure out what to do.

[lisaly]

One more photo. Our girls were small, so we used plexi that was only a foot in height.

[ArmaniMan]

Thanks Again for all your insight- I am going to get the plexiglass and give it a try. Also- no worries, they will never be let out there without me. I just figured it would be nice if I could sit outside with them, without needing to tie them up and Chloe would jump right off FOR SURE without some kind of protection- she is a NUT! I love to sit outside and read in the nice weather- they will likely just sleep on a chair next to me anyway

[Ringo1]

Originally Posted by lisaly

One more photo. Our girls were small, so we used plexi that was only a foot in height.

Thank you. That looks so much more discreet than baby gates. I'm going to get some and use that on indoor landing.

Thanks!

[lisaly]

I'm glad it helped you. Since I tried to make sure you could see the plexi, these photos make it look more obvious than it actually does. My girls still had complete vision to see what was downstairs, but they were safe with it there. We measured the lengths, and had the plexi cut to size.

[Princes mom]

Originally Posted by greyacresmom

We used the plastic lattice that you can get at Home Depot or the like. You can cut to size and still looks nice. They even have different colors you can choose from.

I think we have the same thing. This is very easy to put up, it's secured with ties and can be completed in no time.
Tenax Kryptonight 100 ft. Safety Fence


Search Results for plastic fencing at The Home Depot

We have this in dark green.

[dawn27]

Originally Posted by megansmomma

What about plexiglass? You could drill holes and use zip ties to attach to the railing. It would be invisible too. They sell it at Home Depot or you could go to a glass store and they will cut it to the proper size. There is a home down the street from us that has a deck they did this to and it looks great. If I didn't know it was there you couldn't even tell.

I like this idea...!

Plesiglass comes in many dif lengths and weights... the less weight the less it cost. Also it is very easy to drill holes in when useing the correct drill bit. So easy than Im sure even you could do.