imayer
(Ian Mayer, CMI)
May 14, 2018, 8:57pm
1
Of course, to home inspectors, this is obvious.
But for those of us who’s clients roll their eyes when we explain why we’re calling out the door from the home to the garage for not self-closing and latching:
Deadly Convenience: Keyless Cars and Their Carbon Monoxide Toll - The New York Times
It seems like a common convenience in a digital age: a car that can be powered on and off with the push of a button, rather than the mechanical turning of a key. But it is a convenience that can have a deadly effect.
On a summer morning last year, Fred Schaub drove his Toyota RAV4 into the garage attached to his Florida home and went into the house with the wireless key fob, evidently believing the car was shut off. Twenty-nine hours later, he was found dead, overcome with carbon monoxide that flooded his home while he slept.
“After 75 years of driving, my father thought that when he took the key with him when he left the car, the car would be off,” said Mr. Schaub’s son Doug.
Mr. Schaub is among more than two dozen people killed by carbon monoxide nationwide since 2006 after a keyless-ignition vehicle was inadvertently left running in a garage. Dozens of others have been injured, some left with brain damage.
kjones5
(Kenneth Jones)
May 14, 2018, 9:41pm
3
Also another good reason to have carbon monoxide detectors. They are required here for new construction if the house has an attached garage.
jfudge
(JR Scott Fudge)
May 14, 2018, 9:49pm
4
Thanks for the share Ian!
imayer
(Ian Mayer, CMI)
May 14, 2018, 11:58pm
5
Good point.
CO detectors are required in California at time of sale if the home has either a gas appliance or attached garage.
ccurrins
(Christopher Currins, CMI)
May 15, 2018, 12:17am
6
Only on New Construction?
kjones5
(Kenneth Jones)
May 15, 2018, 12:32am
7
I always recommend them regardless.
Florida Statute 553.885 states that any new home, or addition to a home, permitted on or after July 1, 2008, that has a fossil-fuel burning heater or appliance, a fireplace, or attached garage shall have a carbon monoxide alarm installed within 10 feet of each sleeping room.
ccurrins
(Christopher Currins, CMI)
May 15, 2018, 12:41am
8
Florida Statute 553.885 states that any new home, or addition to a home, permitted on or after July 1, 2008, that has a fossil-fuel burning heater or appliance, a fireplace, or attached garage shall have a carbon monoxide alarm installed within 10 feet of each sleeping room.
I guess that’s better than nothing, as far as the State Statute is concerned. What about the millions of other homes?
Illinois has basically the same law, except it is within 15 feet of rooms use for sleeping. BUT it is for ALL homes, new or 200 years old.
kjones5
(Kenneth Jones)
May 15, 2018, 12:49am
9
Exactly.
Maybe it was never as much of a problem as it is up north. Around Tampa natural gas still is not very common but more and more new homes do have it, we have fireplaces but not as many as up there and people are much less likely to warm up their cars in the garage here.
Fire rated doors with self closing hinges from the garage to the house only became code in 2014.
ddagostino
(Dominic DAgostino, CMI HI3957)
May 15, 2018, 11:21am
11
The garage could also have an AHU inside, a common setup in Florida (and elsewhere).
While tragic, self-closing & self-latching doors, obviously important, would do nothing to stop the gas from entering the leaking HVAC cabinet, especially after many hours of the engine running. Or from leaking under the threshold. Or from leaking into one of the many holes I routinely find in garage walls or ceilings.
Dom.
kjones5
(Kenneth Jones)
May 16, 2018, 1:45am
13
rlewis5:
Show me the code please.
My pleasure.
Page 6, R3025.1
I know this from being a Finish Carpenter and actually installing them.
rlewis5
(Roy Lewis, CERTIFIED MASTER INSPECTOR RETIRED)
May 16, 2018, 9:59pm
16
Is that a section of the Florida building code?
kleonard
(Kevin Leonard, CPI/CMI)
May 16, 2018, 11:43pm
17
Ditto.
Ionization, photo-electric & CO
kjones5
(Kenneth Jones)
May 17, 2018, 1:35am
18
I figured a GC licensed in the State of Florida would know that. Maybe I’m wrong.
R302.5.1 Opening protection.
Openings from a private garage directly into a room used for sleeping purposes shall not be permitted. Other openings between the garage and residence shall be equipped with solid wood doors not less than 13/8 inches (35 mm) in thickness, solid or honey-comb-core steel doors not less than 13/8 inches (35 mm) thick, or 20-minute fire-rated doors, equipped with a self-closing device.
ddagostino
(Dominic DAgostino, CMI HI3957)
May 17, 2018, 2:03am
19
R302.5.1 Opening protection.
Openings from a private garage directly into a room used for sleeping purposes shall not be permitted. Other openings between the garage and residence shall be equipped with solid wood doors not less than 13/8 inches (35 mm) in thickness, solid or honey-comb-core steel doors not less than 13/8 inches (35 mm) thick, or 20-minute fire-rated doors, equipped with a self-closing device.
I believe that was removed in the 2017 FBC.
CHAPTER 3 BUILDING PLANNING
| 2017 Florida Building Code - Residential, Sixth Edition | ICC publicACCESS
kjones5
(Kenneth Jones)
May 17, 2018, 2:35am
20
Interesting. Homeowners didn’t like them anyway.