Attached Garages and Indoor Air Quality

Attached garages are a highly sought after home feature, providing protected access to the living space, and keeping vehicles and other contents warmer in cold weather then their detached counterparts. For all their conveniences, attached garages can be detrimental to a home’s indoor air quality. Carbon monoxide from internal combustion engines is poisonous at moderate concentrations, and effects from chronic exposure to volatile organic compounds from chemicals such as pesticides, paints, and other frequently garaged items are likely detrimental. These contaminants and their byproducts can migrate across garage house interfaces through bypasses in the structure, or via ductwork or HVAC equipment located in garages.

This session presents results from a field research project investigating migration of garage contaminants into five Midwest homes with a variety of attached garage configurations. Topics include results on contaminant transport magnitude as well as intervention options and impacts. Additional information on similar research published since the conclusion of the project is presented and discussed.