Most home garages boast multiple uses. It’s a safe space to store cars, excess belongings, power tools, garden supplies, and various flammable liquids. All these items are known to cause fires should they encounter a live flame.
And with the lockdown trend for shed conversions still going strong, more fires in garages and outbuildings are being reported than ever before. In 2021 alone, these figures were up by 16%.
How do you prevent a fire in your garage? A functioning garage, although an asset to the home, can prove a fire risk when certain factors aren’t considered. The next time someone asks you ‘how to prevent a fire in your garage?’ You can list these tips. But first and foremost, you must ensure they’re applied to your space!
Renovating your existing garage structure to ensure ultimate fire safety
Ensuring the structure of your existing garage is a must and is the first step to safeguarding this space. Modern-day fire codes require you to inspect the ceiling, walls, garage door, and any doors leading from the garage into the home.
If your garage sits below a room in your home, adding fire-resistant sheetrock to the garage’s ceiling is crucial. Similarly, the same process should be applied to any walls connected to the house. This clever sheathing material creates a barrier and slows the spread of flames in the unfortunate event of a fire, limiting it to only one area.
Other structures to consider are connecting doors leading directly into the home from the garage. Choose a high-quality door designed to prevent the spread of smoke and flames by acting as a shield. Safety experts recommend two key categories of doors: FD30 and FD60 doors; these offer between 30 and 60 minutes of fire protection.
If your garage boasts an attic entrance, it’s vital this door is kept closed when not in use and has an access opening with a fire-rated cover. This, again, will prevent any potential fires from spreading.
Ensuring the correct use and maintenance of outlets, appliances, battery chargers, and lights
Regarding garage fires, battery chargers are one of the most common culprits. To prevent circuits from overheating, ensuring only one charger is plugged into an outlet at any time is essential. Another tip includes never using a battery charger and extension cord in conjunction.
Lighting fixtures and lamps are other appliances to watch, as many garage fires are caused by simply using the wrong wattage lightbulb in a lighting fixture.
Other appliances linked to garage fires include clothes dryers and water heaters. It is essential to avoid placing any items deemed flammable close to these pieces of apparatus. On top of this, you should ensure the vents on both devices are left unobstructed and unclogged.
Suitably storing or eliminating products deemed flammable in your garage
A garage should not be a place to store highly flammable liquids like oil, gasoline, paint thinner, paint, and varnish. All these items should be stored in a separate storage unit or shed in approved containers, not in a garage attached to your home.
If you have no choice but to store these items in your garage, invest in the appropriate sealable containers and place them in an area away from other appliances, as even the smallest spark could provoke a flame.
Other items that need to be stored correctly and tidily in a garage include rags, cardboard, paper, and cleaning products, as all are fire enablers.
Ensure any vehicles parked in your garage are well maintained
If you park one or several cars in your garage, maintaining all vehicles regularly is a good idea. Leaks such as gas or oil drips can easily start a fire in your garage. If you notice any of these issues, take your vehicle in for service immediately to rectify the problem. Simple items such as broken fuel injectors, cracked fuel lines, and faulty car batteries pose high-risk factors for garage fires.
In addition to regularly checking your car, investing in a fully functioning garage door will ensure your garage is well-ventilated – a well-ventilated space will help to prevent garage fires.
Installing a working heat alarm in your garage
Install a heat alarm and not a smoke detector. Why? Smoke alarms can be triggered by vehicle fumes alone, especially if you own a heavy-duty vehicle. On the other hand, heat alarms are much more reliable and are recommended by fire safety experts.
These devices boast a battery backup and are also hardwired into your home’s electrical system. One top tip? To avoid interfering with the electrical functionality of the alarm, steer clear of installing these devices adjacent to fluorescent lamps.
Conclusion
All in all, you can do plenty of things to prevent garage fires from spreading or, more importantly, starting in the first place! From installing fire-safe doors to enlisting the help of a contractor to ensure this space is structurally sound, don’t wait until it’s too late to take action. We hope the above tactics assist you in making your garage a safer and more functional space for the entire family.
Author Bio
“Vicky is a content specialist in health and wellness niche from last 5 years. Apart from writing she loves to travel and read books. She also have worked with Elite Garage Door ”