Childproofing in Encino starts with scale. Many homes south of Ventura Boulevard are large custom estates on the north slope of the Santa Monica Mountains, with a pool and spa, terraced yards, more than one staircase and often a guest house. Childproofing LA plans the whole property in one assessment, then installs gates, guards and locks in an order that keeps the house running normally. When there’s a pool out back, the plan begins at the doors that lead to it.
Homes in Encino and what they need
Encino’s hillside streets climb from the boulevard toward Mulholland Drive, and the homes along them tend to sit on generous lots with patios, lawns and canyon views. Styles range from Mediterranean and traditional to new modern builds. North of the boulevard the lots are smaller and the houses more modest, closer in feel to the Sherman Oaks flats.
More rooms, more doors
A large house multiplies the places a toddler can wander. There may be a formal front staircase and a back staircase near the kitchen, plus a double-height entry with a landing that overlooks it. Add a media room, a home gym, a wine room and a laundry room big enough for a second fridge. Each of those rooms needs a decision about whether it gets childproofed or simply locked.
Matching the finish
In a designed house, a mismatched gate stands out. We choose gates and hardware in finishes that suit the stair and the room, and we use the same style throughout so the house reads as one plan. Clear acrylic guards on landings and balconies keep sightlines open.
The people in the house
If a nanny, a housekeeper or a house manager helps run your household, they are often the ones who will live with the childproofing day to day. We are happy to walk the house with them and explain how each lock and gate works. Our page for nannies and home managers covers how we coordinate.
Common childproofing projects in Encino
- Gates for both staircases, top and bottom, mounted into studs or posts in a finish that matches the railing.
- Clear guards along open landings and second-floor balconies that overlook the entry or the family room.
- Locks mounted out of reach on every door that opens to the pool area, including French doors and pocket sliders.
- Door knob covers or high locks on the gym, wine room, garage and pool equipment room.
- Cabinet and drawer locks in the kitchen, butler’s pantry, bathrooms and laundry.
- Anchors for tall built-ins, freestanding wine racks, nursery furniture and large TVs.
- A full pass through the guest house and pool house, which often get missed.
Earthquake, outdoor and pool safety in Encino
Pools are common on these lots, often with a spa, a water feature and an outdoor kitchen nearby. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more children ages 1 to 4 die from drowning than from any other cause. Valley summers are long, so we treat every path from the house to the water as the top priority.
Pool fencing belongs with a specialty contractor, so we don’t install it, and California’s rules for new and remodeled pools are covered in our California pool safety rules guide. On the walk-through we trace each route a child could take to the water. That route can include doors from the main house and the pool house that open straight to the deck, a spa cover a child could climb onto, gaps in an existing fence line and an equipment room left open. Inside, high-mounted locks on those doors are often the first install.
Terraced yards bring their own hazards. Retaining walls, steps between lawn levels and view decks at the edge of a slope all deserve a look from a toddler’s point of view.
For earthquakes, large homes have more to secure. A bigger house may have two or more water heaters, and each one must be braced, anchored or strapped under §19211 of the California Health and Safety Code. We also anchor tall built-ins and bookcases, secure heavy mirrors near beds and cribs, and check that wine racks and display shelving are fastened to studs.
What a visit looks like
Booking can come from a parent, a nanny or a house manager. It helps to let us know about gate codes, the number of buildings on the property and the best time to walk the house without waking a sleeping baby.
The assessment covers the main house, the pool area, the guest house and any outbuildings. We go room by room, test every gate location and railing, and note which doors should be locked versus childproofed. You get an itemized plan you can share with your partner, your staff or your designer, and installation is scheduled around the household calendar. Larger plans can be installed in phases, with stairs and pool doors first.
We serve Encino in ZIP codes 91436 and 91316, including the hillside estates south of Ventura and the neighborhoods north of the boulevard. Homes in the flats get the same assessment, scaled to the size of the house.
Nearby areas we serve
Encino sits between Sherman Oaks to the east and Woodland Hills and Tarzana to the west. Over the Sepulveda Pass, we also work in Bel Air, where estate homes raise many of the same questions.