Among the most common problems encountered in every home are the issues about their garage. Garages are often susceptible areas for safety and fire concerns. Flammable materials could increase the risks of your garage to be burned such as camping fuels, paint thinners, motor oils and such. Home inspectors could usually spot these problems. However, for safety reminders, here are some tips that a home owner should know about.

Important Reminders

If your garage is connected to your attic, be sure that a hatch is present to cover the entry towards your attic. This is needed so that when a fire bursts out in your garage, it won’t easily get inside your attic. To prevent this from happening, the walls and ceiling of your garage should be fire rated. For this, you may need the help of a home inspector.

Another reminder is to keep your garage floor free from any clutter like oily rags, papers, and other flammable items. These items can easily catch fire. As for the lighting in your garage, only use bulbs with the proper wattage. Don’t overload the electrical outlets of your garage. To keep it neat, tape down all of your electrical wiring.

Garage Connected to Your Living Room

If your garage is connected to your living room, as much as possible, do not install a pet door since in case of fire, the flames could easily spread through the pet door. If your door has a window, make it sure that it is also fire rated. As for the door itself, it is strongly recommended to make it self-closing even if it’s a bit annoying. Also, check if there are no any joints and openings around your door. If there are openings or holes, it is possible that gasoline vapor could enter your living room; thus, increasing the risk of fire.

How to Store Flammable Items

In order to prevent a fire, you should learn how to properly store flammable items in your garage. If you have flammable liquids, be sure that they are kept in a tightly lid container. Wipe any leaks and store them in a place away from lights, heaters and appliances. Clearly label all your containers. And if you have propane tanks, don’t store them indoors. If these propane tanks are exposed to fire, they could explode which is a real horror.

Just to be sure, you could hire a professional home inspector like us to check the safety level of your garage. Home inspectors could then tell you on what to do.