Hello! Stair Question

[Unregistered]

I have a similar issue, as I run my home daycare in my lower level(basement) also; however, I do not have a walk out- but do have alternate fire exits. I use an electronic doorbell sysytem with video so when the parents ring the video clicks on and I can say come on in and push a button that will unlock my front door I love it and it was around $150cdn.

[Abigail]

Since you want to exlusively use your basement, I would invest $100 (Well Worth It!) into stepping stones. You can move them, they're easy to put out and it will hold you over until you decide to make a cement walkway to the back. You'll actually like doing this and not just for daycare reasons, but the home improvement of pouring a narrow walkway to the back door will increase the value of your home. This is what I would like to do, but finding houses here with a walk-out lower level is very limited!

I always see a little red flag when I read the word "basement". Since you have a walk-out basement with windows that are low enough for children to see out of, I would call it the "lower level" because it sounds better. Basement to me is an underground level where you need egress windows because the windows are near the ceiling and you have about 20 steps down from the main level even with the ground....I wouldn't want my child kept in a "basement" like that. Two of our houses growing up where like that, I ALWAYS was upstairs near my parent's room(probably because I'm the baby in the family!)

Your home sounds lovely and I would love to see pictures of it when you get around to it. You would only need one baby gate at the bottom of the stairs if you never allow kids upstairs and use your patio door as your only entrance/exit.