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Air quality tips for a healthier garage

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Air quality tips for a healthier garage
By Flow Wall
·
April 23, 2015

While your garage houses your vehicles, it may do much more. From containing wall storage systems to acting as your workshop, the garage provides space for plenty of things. If your garage is also where you cut wood, work on cars or otherwise craft, the air quality of your space should be a concern. After all, you don't want to breathe in saw dust and paint fumes. Fortunately, making sure you're not coughing while you work or passing fumes from the garage into your home, is fairly easy. Here are some ways to improve the air quality in your garage workspace:

Don't idle your vehicle

The exhaust from your vehicles is not safe to inhale, so you should avoid injecting the garage with the gases. Don't idle your car in the garage, especially when the door is closed. Even if you aren't working in the garage right then, the fumes can get trapped.

Always open your garage door before you start your car, and pull onto the driveway immediately. This can help reduce the amount of harmful chemicals floating about the space.

By the same token, do not let lawn mowers and other fuel-propelled engines run inside of your garage.

Switch to low-VOC

Volatile organic compounds (VOC) live inside paints and are harmful to breathe. Many homeowners store paint leftover from decorating in their garage. Or, you might have paint as part of your hobby. No matter what you do with the paint, consider purchasing low-VOC versions. These products have less VOC than other paints, reducing the chemical output they throw into your garage.

Also, store paint on a wall shelf near a ventilated area, such as the door to your garage. That way, fresh air can help circulate VOC out of your space.

Install a ventilation fan

While opening the garage door while you work can help you get fresh air into your space, a ventilation fan will move the air more effectively - in fact, it pulls air out of the room. You can purchase exhaust fan kits that are easy to install, so consider adding that to your garage shopping list.

Read the directions before installing to ensure you put the product in right. Otherwise, it won't do its job just quite as well. You'll have to take accurate measurements of the space. If you're not confident about installing the fan yourself, you can hire a contractor to do so.

Add windows

You may think of your garage workshop as your man cave, but it doesn't have to feel like its namesake. Adding windows not only sheds light on the projects you're completing, but also gives you another way to get fresh air into the room.

Make sure any windows you purchase can lock - that way, your valuables will be safe. Always crack a window before you start working, whether it's sanding wood or painting model jets.

A garage workspace is a comfortable area where you can store all of your supplies. With these suggestions, the space will also have cleaner air.

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