I am adding a garage attached to my house. Because I'm handicapped I must have the garage level with the house and can't put a step between the garage and the house. Apparently code requires a step up to the house to avoid carbon monoxide escaping fromj the garage into into the house.
I have room for a very small "mudroom" between the house and the garage but this doesn't obviate the requirement for the step. Can anyone think of another way to prevent carbon monoxide infiltration from the garage to the house?
Unless you absolutely need a totally enclosed garage, you could build a covered parking area attached. I believe as long as two ends are not enclosed, it should comply.
International Residential Code (IRC 2000) R309.3 Floor Surface:Ga.rage floor surfaces shall be of approved non combustible material. The area of floor used for parking of automobiles or other vehicles shall be sloped to faciltate the movement of liquid to a drain or toward the main vehicle entry doorway.
The CABO Dwelling Code of 1995 has nearly identical language. I find no requirement for a step in either code.
Either add a ramp or talk to the building inspector for an idea. He may have seen some ideas that meet code. He is not able to re-write the code nor can he pass anything that does not meet the code. You may be able to install an elaborate ventilation system, but that is costly and you'd need all sorts of approvals to get it permitted.
On 12/24/2004 3:24 PM US(ET), rf took fingers to keys, and typed the following:
My NY garage floor is level with the floor in the house ( both on the same slab). Only the saddle is higher. It was built in 1984. The only requirement was that the door between the two spaces be a fire coded door. If this is a local code, perhaps your disability would overrule local code. Check with the ADA.
How about, in the "mudroom", a ramp-up and a ramp-down? I doubt the "step" needs to literally be a step, as long as the height is achieved? You might also ask your code officer for suggestions - they're often willing to give ideas and might have seen the situation before.
I would imagine a ramp would comply. What they are looking for is a differential in height so the CO would stay at a level below the living area. Of course, knowing the conflicting codes and laws we have, I'd not bet money on it.
I don't know the reason for the step, but if it's code, it's "gotta be", unless as suggested ADA has something to say about it, which I doubt. The step isn't to confine CO, however, and it should probably be dropped from this thread. Any one of you who had a CO detector should know CO islighter than air, and should be mounted closer to the ceiling, per included instrauctions. Unless you're one of those who has to be told RTFM, anyway. In which case, RTFM! IMO, it should be above head level, so the alarm goes off before the CO reaches low enough to trigger the alarm, so low ceilings become problematic, but ... that's all still irrelevant to the code issue. Even if CO were heavier than air, it still wouldn't be necessary to "confine" it as the code required garage floor drain would allow it to get out quite easily. If there's no drain then the floor must ... and on and on and on and ...
I went out and checked: My garage floor is below the entry floor by about 4 inches, but ... the laundry room, which the entry leads to, is lower than the garage floor. In fact, the room it leads to, now a laundry room, used to be a garage at one time. The it's two steps up into the house proper. I'm in far upstate NY.
Step one is to find out what the local code really says. Next, if it is a problem, then check with the code enforcement staff and see if they know of an way around it for your situation. Next would be to contact the local elected official and see what they have to suggest.
If it is needed for safety or protection of the building (like to prevent melting snow from flowing into the home) then I doubt if it will be waved for your condition, but they may have some suggestions.
BTW CO is lighter than air at most temperatures so that would not be the reason. However water and many hydrocarbons like propane are heavier.
I have never heard of a requirement for that. In fact I can not count the number of homes I have been in where there is a stairway leading down into the lower level of the home. My dad's house for one! Greg
Not CO but gas fumes? If you had a leak in a gas tank you'd want the fumes to go to the outdoors rather than into the house. I know that codes do not allow for dryer vents or heating vents into the garage.
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