House fires result in devastating aftermath. They can start without warning and destroy your home within minutes. Pay attention to your garage when you survey your home for fire hazards.
Garages contain many chemicals, tools, and piles of forgotten clutter that can easily ignite and cause a damaging fire. A fire that starts in your garage can quickly spread throughout your home.
Knowing a few garage fire safety tips, you can protect your home, family, and possessions from total fire devastation. Raynor Garage Doors in Dixon, IL, offers safe, stylish garage doors for added fire protection.
Does Your Garage Pass Our Fire Safety Checklist?
You may need to know where to start when you need to fireproof your garage. The first step includes taking note of areas that pose a potential fire risk. Below we provide a checklist for garage fire safety:
- Excess clutter fully organized or removed
- Tools stored in a safe manner
- Electrical outlets are used appropriately and not overloaded
- Chemicals adequately contained and labelled
- A heat alarm was installed instead of a smoke alarm
- Walls and ceiling treated
- The garage door opens and closes easily
You have a potential fire hazard if your garage meets only some of the above qualifications. The good news is that you can quickly complete a garage fire safety improvement project in a weekend. Learn about each safety measure and how to prevent garage fires.
Store Flammable Liquids Properly
The safest place to store flammable liquids is in a shed or other small building detached from your home. Outbuildings without electricity pose less of a fire risk in the presence of flammable liquids. If a fire starts, you can more easily contain it before it grows out of hand.
If you can only keep flammable liquids in the garage, take extra precautions to store them safely.
Ensure you fully seal and clearly label each container holding flammable liquids such as propane, varnish, and gasoline. You can more safely store flammables in small containers rather than large ones. Store them away from a heat source and combustible material such as newspaper or cleaning rags.
Investing in storage cabinets specifically for flammables makes a great option to prevent fires. Lockable cabinets prevent small children from accidentally ingesting harmful liquids or starting a fire. Storage cabinets offer an efficient way to keep items off the garage floor.
Install a Heat Alarm
Though a smoke alarm may prove adequate for fire protection inside the home, the garage requires a different type of alarm. Typical smoke alarms sound when they detect fumes commonly produced by your car, motorcycle, or lawnmower. A heat alarm offers the best way to detect a fire in the garage.
Heat alarms respond to unsafe temperatures. When flames from a garage fire cause the temperature to climb above 79.4 degrees Celsius (175 degrees Fahrenheit), the alarm will sound, keeping you and your family safe.
Fireproof the Space
Garage fire safety tips don’t just include the belongings in your garage. You also need to treat the structure of the garage against fire as well.
Walls and ceilings made with gypsum board provide fire protection. Gypsum helps contain the fire within the garage and prevent a fire from completely destroying your home.
The door between your home and the garage should self-close in the event of a fire. A 20-minute fire-rated door is a wise investment in garage fire safety.
An attic hatch cover prevents flames from ravaging your attic space.
Store Electrical Appliances Properly
The number one cause of garage fires stems from improper electrical tool storage. Extended use of extension cords or multi-plugs is always unsafe.
When charging tools, plug them into the wall outlet rather than a multi-plug. For added safety, only plug one major appliance into an outlet. Large appliances pull a lot of electricity, and you can easily overload an outlet and create a fire hazard.
If you live in an older home, stay safe by scheduling an appointment with a professional electrician. Outdated wiring cannot handle electrical overload from contemporary appliances.
Clean Out Your Garage
Garages offer extra storage space for holiday decorations, seasonal wardrobes, and keepsakes. Miscellaneous items clutter your garage until you don’t have enough room for your car. A messy, cluttered garage is an inconvenience and a fire hazard.
A regular organization schedule will keep your garage safer in a fire. Use shelving and organization units to keep tools in a specific place.
Sort through clothing and other seasonal items. Store items in sturdy containers away from appliances that produce heat, like a water heater or clothes dryer.
Clear away cobwebs and debris from the walls and ceiling. Cobwebs are dust magnets. An overabundance of dust only adds to fire risk.
Dispose of old cardboard boxes stacked up in the corner. Collect and remove any recycling or trash.
Stay Mindful
The best way to prevent garage fire is to stay mindful of fire hazards. When you know better, you do better. Awareness of common garage fire causes will prevent hazardous storage practices in your garage.
An up-to-date fire extinguisher in your garage will give you added peace of mind.
Raynor Garage Doors
Your garage door can be a safety exit if a house fire occurs. If your garage door does not open properly, it may as well be a wall. Maintaining a functioning garage door and a clean garage with no obstacles to navigate in an emergency is imperative for your safety.
Newer garage doors offer more safety against fires than older garage doors. Raynor Garage Doors contain heat-resistant materials that provide added fire protection.
Now that you know a few garage fire safety tips, keep your garage beautiful on the outside and safe on the inside by installing a high-quality garage door from Raynor Garage Doors. We offer both residential and commercial design options. Go to find a local Raynor Authorized Dealer.
