GMI Keepsafe Expansion Gate

We bought this gate for the bottom of our stairs, to prevent both a toddler and a dog from going up the stairs.



The gate itself is made of what appears to be poplar (see below), and in its 36" wide configuration, is sufficiently strong to block kids and dogs. Edges are finished nicely (no splinters, no snags). It expands, collapses, and swings smoothly and quietly. In short: it's almost exactly like what I wanted.

There is, however, an installation consideration:
If the bottom of the gate, on either side, is to be anchored on baseboards, the included spacers might not be sufficient to anchor the top. In my case, my baseboards are 3/4-inch thick, while the spacers were only 1/2-inch. I installed some 3/4" pine as an alternative spacer. See my product images for details. I wish they'd include some 3/4" spacers.

I found it annoying that the plastic bag containing the hardware was captured under the rivet on the metal foot. It was very difficult to get all the plastic out from under the rivet, and, even now, a bit remains.

Finally, I'll note that the gate is made of unfinished wood. It appears to be poplar, which is good in that it is a strong hardwood. However, poplar has a greenish color that may not appeal to everyone. A nice touch would've been for the gate to be stained to a golden oak color and finished with some kind of polyurethane. I'd have paid $10 more for that. As it is, staining it yourself, in its preassembled form, would be a tedious exercise. Again, it's not a fatal flaw, just a point of improvement.