Tips for a Healthy Garage
Last Updated: Apr 11, 2025I am a healthy home consultant and, as such, have devoted my career to making sure people's homes are as healthy as possible. After all, we spend 90% of our time indoors. I've written articles devoted to many parts of the house, including kitchens, bathrooms, foundations, and even ductwork. Since we do not normally live in garages, this might seem like an odd topic to cover. But the fact is, over 80% of new homes have garages, and most of those are attached to our homes directly—and they do affect our health.
Table of Contents
- Why Are Attached Garages Unhealthy?
- How Can We Improve Garage Air Quality Problems in New Homes?
- How Can We Improve Garage Air Quality Problems in Existing Homes?
- How To Ensure the Entry Door Is Airtight
- What Are the Air Quality Risks With Central Vacs?
- How Exhaust Fans Can Help Air Quality in Garages
How Can We Improve Garage Air Quality Problems in Existing Homes?
For homes that already have attached garages (and there are a lot of them), the garage must be airtight. This is a code requirement in new construction, but your home may not be up to the current code. Taped wallboard on all surfaces, especially the ceiling, if living space is above, is necessary.
If you want to make the garage nice and neat and hang things on the walls:
- Install oriented strand boards (OSB) or plywood. Ensure it's installed over top of a vapor or air barrier that is properly taped and sealed; then install your hooks and shelves.
- Remember to focus on the details, such as around outlets, light fixtures, and other penetrations, keeping them airtight with proper tapes and sealants.
- The wallboard should not go to the floor to ensure it does not get wet and grow mold. Ensure the lower edge is also airtight, as this is a common weak point in the build.
What Are the Air Quality Risks With Central Vacs?
Do you have your central vacuum canister installed in your garage? This exhausts fine particulate that the filter doesn't capture. That fine particulate bonds with the petroleum products, creating bigger, meaner toxins that can enter the home. Clearly, this is not ideal. The solution is to ensure that your central vacuum exhausts outside of the garage - an easy fix. Likewise, if you have any other vents into the garage, like dryer vents, they should also exhaust outside.
How Exhaust Fans Can Help Air Quality in Garages
The above recommendations are low energy, passive suggestions. Doing them once and maintaining them is the first, more straightforward step. For active solutions that require power, exhaust fans are an excellent idea. Install a properly sized exhaust fan, typically a bathroom type fan, hard-wired to the garage door opener. Every time the garage door is powered up or down, the exhaust fan should run for 15 minutes. This system will dramatically reduce the combustion products and hydrocarbons in the garage and make things much healthier. You can easily add this solution when building new, as well.
Some of these details apply to those driving or thinking about purchasing an electric car, but not all. Notably, the carbon monoxide from combustion will be absent.
Other garage-related issues could affect your family's health, like:
- particulates
- moisture
- de-icing salts
- fertilizers
- and pesticides
Whether you store these items or not, your vehicle's tires may have picked them up along the way and dragged them into your garage. The bottom line is that it's essential to remember attached garages add many air quality risks to your home. Addressing the issues will help you improve your home's indoor air quality and your family's overall health.
Stephen Collette
Stephen Collette is a Building Biologist, Building Science Consultant, LEED Accredited Professional, and a Heritage Professional. Stephen is the owner of Your Healthy House and lives in Lakefield, ON with his wife and 2 daughters.
