The Safe Railing Guard by Smart Retract is made from the same mesh fabric as the Retract-A-Gate and Bow Wow Barrier. It can be attached with the included straps to railings on decks, balconies, or stairways. Its purpose is to create a barrier to help keep young children and pets from slipping through the posts or spindles.
The Safe Railing Guard is a versatile, multipurpose product that can cover railing areas to help keep babies, children, dogs, and cats safer. At Smart Retract, we have researched and compared similar products and found that our Safe Railing Guard is superior. Other products on the market have a loose weave which can cause small fingers or paws to get stuck. We also found a product that is a clear, flexible plastic, which easily shows fingerprints and pawprints, and would need to be frequently cleaned to keep it looking presentable. Finally, the overall strength and durability of our Safe Railing Guard product is unmatched and will outlast and outperform anything else in its class.
Smart Retract’s Safe Railing Guard is made from a see-through mesh that is strong but soft and doesn’t show smudges. It comes in three colors of White, Café, and Black that will easily blend with any décor. We would be pleased to send you samples of the fabric so you can see for yourself what the mesh is like, and how the colors can complement your home’s surroundings. Just send us an email at info@SmartRetract.com. Be sure to remember to include your name and full mailing address.
The 34-inch-tall Safe Railing Guard mesh fabric is sold in bulk quantities of 5-foot increments and comes pre-hemmed with 1-inch hems at the top and bottom of the fabric. Before placing your order, measure the length of the area you want to cover, and round up to the next length that is divisible by 5. As an example, if your railing measures 32 feet long, you would round up to 35, and order at least 35 feet of Safe Railing Guard. After installing, you will trim back the excess fabric to the appropriate size.
One set of ten 17-inch straps is included with each Safe Railing Guard order. Optional accessories you may wish to purchase would be additional straps, either the 17-inch Safe Railing Guard Straps, or the longer, 32-inch Stair Banister Adaptor Straps. If you later decide to adjust or move your Safe Railing Guard, you will have to cut some or all of the existing straps, so extra straps would be needed. If your stair or balcony posts are thicker than 3.5 inches, you may need the longer 32-inch straps, which will fit posts that are as thick as 7 inches.
Installing the Safe Railing Guard is straightforward and easy to do. The first step is to make a hole on a corner of the bottom hem that is at least ½ inch from the fabric edge. Using one of the provided Safe Railing Guard Straps, you will fasten the mesh at the lowest height along the bottom of the railing, repeating the steps for the top.
When one side has been secured, you will repeat the steps every 12 to 18 inches, while ensuring that the mesh is even and removing slack as you work. When you reach the end of the area you are covering, you will mark the mesh and cut it to the proper length before securing it to the final spindle or post. It can be cut to any angle or length to fit your specific area. When the attachment is complete, you will want to trim the strap back, near the ratchet end of the Safe Railing Guard strap, to make sure you are not leaving any sharp edges.
See our Installation & Accessories page for more detailed installation instructions and information on optional accessories.
Yes – we are confident that the Safe Railing Guard can be used in numerous applications, both indoors and outdoors. Our customers have used it to cover spindles along a balcony, block off open railings on a deck, cover spindles along a stairway railing, and even create a visual divider to indicate an area that is fenced off or off-limits. Many areas can be made safer and more secure for children, dogs, and cats with the Safe Railing Guard. No worries about the baby, or new puppy or kitten slipping through or getting stuck between railing posts. Please note, however, that this mesh fabric is not intended to be used as an extension or replacement part for the Retract-A-Gate or the Bow Wow Barrier.
The mesh fabric is the same tough, reinforced polymer composite material that is used for the Retract-A-Gate and the Bow Wow Barrier – and in other applications and uses it has been used in the back of trucks to hold down cargo, to illustrate just how durable it is.
The mesh is non-toxic and contains no harmful chemicals. It is stabilized to withstand fading from UV rays and is resistant to mildew and scratching. Extensive, four-season testing was done through the extremes of Midwest weather, and the mesh will not crack or become brittle like plastic sheeting does when exposed to the elements. Of course, any item that experiences prolonged outside use will have a somewhat shorter lifespan than one that is used exclusively indoors.
Our Smart Retract team also subjected the Safe Railing Guard to the feline test – by attaching a portion of the mesh fabric to a cat scratching post. Several months later, after use by adult cats, the fabric was not torn or ripped.
The Safe Railing Guard can be easily spot cleaned by using water and a mild soap. For more stubborn stains or soiling, rubbing alcohol can also be used.
Customers sometimes ask if there are promo codes or coupons available for Smart Retract products on couponing sites or apps. We caution people to be wary of any off-site “deals” you may come across, as they are not endorsed by Smart Retract and are likely not legitimate. Any generally available promotions will be offered only on our websites during the Checkout process, and you can be assured that they are authentic if you find them on the Smart Retract site.
