There’s nothing like a Connecticut winter storm to make you feel deeper appreciation for your attached garage. With the wind howling and the snow and ice blowing in vicious circles, you drive your car straight in the garage and enter your home through an adjoining door, safe and warm – and probably smelling a bit like exhaust from your vehicle.
This is because if you’re like most people, you want to block off the cold outdoor air, so you close the overhead garage door in a hurry. The problem is, you’ve also trapped the emissions from your vehicle, which trail into your home and reduce your indoor-air quality.
There are other sources of pollutants and emissions in most attached garages, including gas-powered tools such as snow blowers and chain saws, whose emission systems are not as advanced as those in cars. Chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides are other emission sources that should be stored as close to the overhead door as possible.
What you probably don’t know is that many of the fumes and emissions from these pollution sources can find their way into your home, helped along by the common pressure differences between the garage and a well-ventilated home. The fumes are actually being drawn into many homes.
In some ways, your home is protected against some of these issues. Namely, your home should have at least one layer of drywall between the walls and the garage, not to mention a thick layer of insulation.The problem is, air can seep through small cracks in the walls between the garage and your house and through the top floor ceiling, as well as through holes for electrical and plumbing fixtures. Seal cracks and openings with caulk. Do so in the light of day, and direct a bright light on the walls. Also inspect your garage drywall and finish it with compound and then two coats of paint. Finally, consider installing a simple exhaust fan in your garage, to remove harmful fumes while equalizing the pressure between your house and the garage.
To improve the indoor-air quality of your home, call Glasco Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc.to schedule an air quality evaluation. We’ll inspect your garage from top to bottom and make it as airtight as possible.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about indoor air quality and other HVAC topics, visit our website.
Glasco Heating & Air Conditioning services South Windsor, Connecticut and the surrounding areas.
Indoor Air Quality image via Shutterstock