Balcony Safety Ideas for Small Dogs and Pets

A  fellow small dog owner asked me about balcony safety ideas after her recent move to her new home. She was looking for easy yet temporary apartment balcony railing ideas on a budget that she could easily remove when she moves on without fines from the leasing office. And she didn't want her deck to feel like she's caught in a fishnet.

Although within safety guidelines for spacing between rails, common apartment railings have a small space at the bottom… just enough for a small dog (or small cat) and their small toys to fit through and fall to their demise.
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So here is a visually subtle yet sturdy (yet temporary) balcony safety idea creating a safe outdoor living space both you and your fur babies can enjoy.

Note: Photos in this post feature my late dog, Scruffy, a shih tzu/ terrier mix... with Ms. Buttons' blessing and support.

Estimated Time to Complete

Once you have the items needed (which we’ll get to in a moment), easily under 20 minutes for a typical 10 - 12 foot balcony.

Level of Difficulty

Easy.

Estimated Cost

Depends on length of the railing requiring a safety barrier.  The  project in this post required 10 feet. I purchased 3 standard 4 ft pieces. That along with a packet the U-shaped nails (with I can use for future household projects) brought my total cost to just under $90. 

Items Needed

• Utility shelving for the length of the balcony railing. Measure twice before purchasing.

• U-Shaped Nails ​​
• hammer
• tape measure

Optional

• Hacksaw
• Spray paint (for for color matching safety and balcony railings)

If you need to cut the utility shelving… here are a few options:

• Purchase a hacksaw for under $25 (for use on this and future DIY projects)
• Borrow a hacksaw from a neighbor or friend
• For apartment or condo dwellers… the property management maintenance crew will have one you could borrow… or better yet... they can do quick cuts for you. Don’t worry… it still counts as doing it yourself!

Instructions

If you choose to color-match, (spray) paint shelving before beginning installation (which will take less than 10 minutes). However, I recommend allowing 24 hours for the paint to fully dry before beginning installation process.

• Layout utility shelving where you are attaching to railing. Because my balcony was shorter that the 12 feet of utility shelving I purchased, I allowed for an overlap which was barely noticeable when the project was complete. (Behind the Buddha)​

• Position so the lip or flip of the shelving is on the decking… facing toward the building.

• Secure in place with u-shaped nails securing every 12 to 16 inches (and where there is an overlap of the barrier) in the wood as shown in the photo. 
• Enjoy.

Scruffy enjoying the balcony and fresh air with safety barrier in place.

And when you move, you can easily remove the nails and safety guard. So give it a try and protect your smaller fur babies and their toys from dangerous falls.

​In the meantime, get started and get going putting the fun back into functional stylish living… in under an hour!