Review on Munchkin Extra Wide and Tall Baby Gate, Hardware Mounted Safety Gate for Stairs, Hallways and Doors, Expands from 33" to 56" Wide, Metal, White by Erin Jackson

We have (3) this extra wide Munchkin goal and (4) a matching narrower goal. Yes, we only have (7) gates in our home. This allows us to herd and herd four children and two dogs almost anywhere. The first one was a bit tricky to install just because anything new can be confusing. But once I had it, the others were easy. The first was installed two years ago so we have a proven track record of using it for a long time. We've installed more over time as we've learned how useful they are. This gate is well preserved, but we've learned something to pass on to other people who see this gate: Although anyone can install one of these gates, it helps to be around. I recommend using high quality screws. They should be long enough to go through the drywall and into the wood behind it. These gates should never be installed with those crappy plastic inserts that are supposed to work in drywall. One of our holes was a few inches wider than the gate was designed to fill. I ordered it anyway because I figured I could tweak something to make it work. I used a 4 foot 2X4 section on each wall to fill in the gap. I used good quality kiln dried wood, sanded it to a smooth finish and then painted it to match our interior paint job. It looks like it was designed for a gate and the gate fits perfectly in the opening. I've attached photos to the main page. Some have complained about the difficulty in opening these gates. While this "might" be a problem, it doesn't have to be. It comes down to careful tuning. Once the fit is correct, the gate opens very easily with one hand. As we constantly walk through the gate with an infant or toddler, easy one-handed opening is a must for us. We also have an 8 year old who needs to be able to move around the house with ease and be willing to close the gate behind him. It's not a problem for him. It is important to consider the mounting height. While it is important to set the gate as high as possible, too high and a toddler or small dog could crawl under the gate. I would err on the side a little too low. Since these gates have no horizontal bars, they are very difficult for even the best climber to climb. One of the main reasons for ordering these gates is that they don't have a crossbar or track attached to the ground. We are just as happy today as we were two years ago when we installed the first gate. Initially I was concerned that the hinges are plastic. Fortunately, they are stronger than they appear. Our 2 year old drove one of the gates while they were opening. Considering it weighed 30 pounds and was hanging on the far end of the gate, the torque on the hinges was significant. Survived without any problems. I recommend this gate without hesitation. 5 Stars.