The Importance of Garage Ventilation

Garage ventilation is a growing concern today among homeowners. Not ventilating your garage can be extremely dangerous. Your car exhaust releases many toxic fumes, and without proper ventilation, these fumes can get trapped within the walls of your garage creating a health hazard.

Another reason you may want to ventilate your garage is to control the buildup of heat. Because of the lack of air space in a garage, things can get extremely stuffy. You will find some important information on ventilating your garage in the following paragraphs.

Air Tightness

Many garages are constructed in such a way that allows air to penetrate from the outside in or the inside out. One way to stop this is to identify air leaks and seal them. They are usually easy to find. A draft often indicates a leak. Some people become concerned with their garage becoming too tightly packed with air. But, as long as you install a ventilation system, sealing the air leaks in your garage should do nothing but help your situation.

Ventilation

One way to let your garage breathe is to construct a ventilation system. This can be as easy as placing a fan in the window to blow the air out. This sucks the bad fumes from the room and sends them outdoors.

If you have the budget for a higher-powered system, you can install vents and an outlet fan. The vents are typically built into the windows, while the fan is typically built into the ceiling, or placed high on a wall. This can also lower the cost of many bills that have to do with heating and cooling your home.

Sealing Ducts

Ducts may be installed in your home to keep your house cool or heated. Either way, these ducts have a high chance of leaking a large amount of air. Some ducts may be hidden in floors, ceilings, or walls, and may be hard to find and repair. It may be necessary to call a professional. But if you have the situation under control and know where the ducts are in your home, it should not be a problem. There are many ways to seal the ducts in your home, including the use of metal tape. And you can also use a mastic sealant to seal the ducts.

Cooling

Some other options for cooling your garage include installing a window air conditioner. This can usually cool down a room in just a matter of minutes. Further options include building large fans on the ceiling or maybe even building ceiling vents. This will release the heat up and out. There is also a type of air conditioner known as a standing air conditioner. These are mobile and do not require any sort of installation process, but they are a short-term answer to an everlasting problem.

Insulation

Insulation alone is usually not acceptable. Most garages still need vents installed somewhere to keep the air circulating. The best kind of insulation to use is typically made of fiberglass. There are other types, but most people tend to stick with the fiberglass.