When you seal your home against the loss of air and energy, you improve your indoor comfort level, boost HVAC system efficiency, and reduce the amount of money you spend on home heating and cooling. An effective air sealing project offers you the additional benefit of improved home safety by preventing carbon monoxide and other dangerous fumes from seeping into your living spaces from your attached garage.
Starting or running your car or other fuel-burning equipment inside your garage produces extremely harmful exhaust gases, including carbon monoxide(CO). For this reason, it is vitally important to seal areas between your home and your attached garage where CO can get through.
- Seal shared walls between the garage and your living areas. Find and seal any gaps, cracks, holes, or other openings that could let CO into your home. Use caulking, gaskets or other appropriate sealing material to block these openings.
- Install a high-quality door between the garage and your house. The door should have a tight seal between its outside edge and the frame to prevent the possibility of air or CO leakage. The door should also be insulated, constructed of metal, have an automatic closer and carry a high fire rating.
- Seal any HVAC ductwork in the garage. Leaks or openings in the ductwork of your heating or cooling system can draw in carbon monoxide and distribute this harmful gas into you home along with conditioned air. Make sure all sections of ductwork fit together tightly and that connections are sealed with mastic, a specialized sealant for ducts, or metal tape.
- Install a passive roof vent to help maintain pressure levels between the inside of your home and the garage. This prevents pressure changes between the two spaces that can pull CO into your home.
Home comfort and home safety are twin concerns of the professionals at Arpi’s Industries Ltd. Let us help you keep your Calgary-area home environment safe and clear of dangerous pollutants and fumes. Contact us today for more information on air sealing your attached garage to prevent carbon monoxide and other harmful substances from getting into your home.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Calgary, Alberta about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about Air Sealing Projects and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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