Me and my husband will be moving to Zurich with our 2 year-old twins and we are renting and apartment on the 10th floor with a balcony. Since my twins are on a super active climbing phase, I would really want to put a safety net on the balcony.
The landlord already approved it but I can’t find a provider anywhere! Safety nets are very common here in Brazil and every apartment on high floors that has children living in it has one on every window and balcony. However I’m starting to thing these safety nets don’t exist in Switzerland. Does anybody know where I can find a safety net provider here, or if they actually even exist? Some people say they have seen some nets for cats, but I couldn’t even found those online yet.
Orchestra is a chain of stores in Switzerland, mostly in the french-speaking part but there is one in Oftringen. Looks like they have them. I can't help you out in german, but in french you should Google "filet de protection" or "filet de sécurité".
And I have just seen that Orchestra says that they are no longer available. The manufacturer is Reer. Maybe you could track down another distributor through Reer?
Here they are (and on special). Each section is 2.94m in length. It is however JUST designed to address the area up to 1m high.
If the kids can/will be able to climb (eg on a chair) to get above the railing, you need to add some "netting". See the photo below (taken on a boat to show the idea). I would suggest you do both right away. You will want to ask the people above if you can tie the top of the netting to the barrier on their balcony. That way there is no need to drill holes in the concrete ceiling and it will be stronger.
Keep in mind that the netting has to be stronger than you would put for a cat. And it needs to be secured with heavier rope and more times per metre. This netting can found as well. If you would like, I can research some ideas for you.
Helm has found the source for the "netting". I would look for something solid enough so even if the children lean over and fall, they can not rip the netting or fall through. Once again, installed with enough rope top and bottom so they can not get through.
Yes, to this! With every new post on this thread, from the first, I flinch. Really? One would really move into a tall building with small children? Not just one, but twins? 2-year-olds, at that? And then entrust their lives to a net?
@BruFaustini
I wonder whether you realise, as you say that you are just moving to Zurich, that the majority of buildings here are not high-rise.
Do you really need to take this particular flat? Has it been organised for you by your employer, before you've even arrived in Zurich?
The question is all about the product you install (to my mind a cat level product is not enough) and how you install it .
First of all, I would use the product suggested by someone at the beginning of the thread ( I added a link to buy) so they can not get through the railing (depending on the type of railing them getting through is maybe even not an issue). The second step/issue is to install the appropriate netting (for the area up to the ceiling) on the inside of the railing that they have (so a double level of security - this is key) and either hooked up to a number (4 per linear metre) of hooks at the ceiling or to the "feet" of the barrier of the apt. above them. Either solution will work.
I used to sail in some reasonably rough conditions and people do slip when the boat is almost at 90°. They are always "caught" by the netting on the side of the boat. And they were men who weight X times more than a child. So netting (of the correct type) will stop a child from going anywhere. Trying to find a ground floor apt. is putting too much pressure on the OP.
Of course the OP will probably not be using the balcony as a play area for the kids but she is taking precautions against the 30 second dash that the kid(s) might make when she is airing the apt. and doing the 20 other things a new mother needs to do to keep things in order.
So, depending on the type of barrier that is there - secure it. And second, find the right netting (see link that was provided above) to do the rest when the kids are big enough to climb up on or over the railing.
I've done this with simple 'Maschendraht' (chicken-wire?) fencing and strong fasteners back in the day. Bring a handy friend for a second pair of hands, let the ladies serve the drinks and snacks and end the party with a balcony-BBQ. Done easily on a sunny Saturday afternoon including shopping for the parts and the steaks.
My usual handy "second pair of hands" happened to be a structural engineer. I don't think, he would have helped me, if he wasn't convinced of the rigidity of my rather agricultural "design"
