Folding doors are arguably one of the hottest trends on the market right now as far as home upgrades go. The large multi-panel accordion doors can be easily folded to the side, opening up the entire room to fresh air and sunlight from the great outdoors.

That being said, folding doors also present a few notable safety concerns for babies, young children, and toddlers. They are large, contain multiple pinch points, and have a lot of moving parts and rollers that could potentially trap an unsuspecting finger or toe.

So, for the parents out there, we decided to put together a brief post to address some of the top safety concerns surrounding folding doors. We’ve also included the solutions to these problems that many manufacturers offer along with their doors to put your mind at ease. Remember, safety should always come first!

Addressing Child Safety Concerns Regarding Folding Doors

Let’s face it – toddlers are nothing if not curious. One of the most vital parts of childrens’ brain development involves learning through trial and error. That means your little tot is going to try to do everything from eating dirt to sticking their hands in fire… all in the name of higher learning.

So, while you might be tempted to just tell your toddler, “No touch,” there’s still a 90% chance that they’re going to get curious about your giant new folding door and decide to start poking around. As we mentioned, folding doors have a lot of moving parts and pinch points that could cause a lot of boo-boos.

Thankfully, though, many folding door manufacturers offer solutions to these problems in an attempt to make their fold-away doors safer and more child-friendly. Let’s check it out!

1) Getting Fingers or Toes Caught In Door Rollers

If you look at most folding doors, they operate with a set of rollers on the top and bottom of the door panels. These small balls and wheels (depends on your model) support the entire weight of the door and help it glide smoothly along the track. They can also crush or pinch a toddlers fingers or toes if they’re not careful.

Solution: Encapsulated Rollers

Thankfully, many manufacturers encapsulate the doors rollers so that all of the moving components are safely covered by a metal capsule. This eliminates any possibility of getting fingers or toes trapped.

2) Getting Fingers Caught Between Door Panels

One of the biggest concerns when it comes to folding doors is that kids (and even adults, for that matter) may stick their fingers in between the open door panels only to have them violently crushed when somebody tries to close the door. With some folding door panels weighing well over a hundred pounds, that’s a lot of pressure, and it’s easily enough to break a small finger bone.

Solution: Finger-Safe Door Gaskets

Yet again, there’s a solution! Finger-safe door gaskets provide a small space between door panels and rubber padding on both edges where the two doors fold apart. This generally allows enough space for a child’s entire finger to get trapped in between the folding doors without getting hurt at all. Plus the rubber padding provides extra cushioning!

There are also “finger guards” which completely block area where the folding occurs with a thin piece of transparent plastic.

3) Tripping Hazard

Many accordion doors feature a tall 1 to 2-inch tall lip at the bottom of the door. This is designed to keep out excessive rainwater and prevent flooding from getting underneath the door. However, it can also be a huge tripping hazard for young toddlers who love to run around and not look where they’re going.

Solution: Flush Track

Thankfully, almost all folding door manufacturers allow their customers to choose the type of track they want for their doors. You can request a flush track that will be flush with the ground and won’t be a tripping hazard.

4) Sudden Door Movement

Last but not least, there’s also the concern that the door could suddenly move or jolt in a jerking motion that your child may not be able to control. This could result in injury or hands getting caught in between moving door panels.

Solution: Even Weight Distribution

High-quality folding door systems are designed with even weight distribution, which means that they’ll move slow and steadily, in a predictable manner. This means no sudden jolts, jerks, or banging of the door.

Final Tips

In addition to all of these child safety features, it’s also a good idea to instruct your toddler on proper and safe door usage. Show them how to use the swing door to get in and out and discourage them from playing around with the sliding door panels. If you combine proper instruction with the child safety features we described above, though, the chances of your toddler getting hurt should be very low!