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?

Any advice would be appreciated.

RF

"rf" wrote in message
...
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?

Any advice would be appreciated.

The best way is to NOT park in the garage.

;-]

Either way, it sounds like you will have to build it to satisfy your local
code. If you don't put the step in, you'll never get it to pass inspection.

"rf" wrote
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?

Any advice would be appreciated.

RF

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.

TB

"rf" wrote in message
...
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.

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:

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?

Any advice would be appreciated.

RF


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.

--
Bill

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.


Pop


rf wrote:
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?

Any advice would be appreciated.

RF

I too would consult the ADA, If your building dept. can't make this work for
you, I'm sure the ADA would have a law suit for them. If nothing else works,
install the step as they want it, get your C.O., then rip it out and build a
ramp
"rf" wrote in message
...
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?

Any advice would be appreciated.

RF

"RBM" rmottola1(remove wrote in message
...
I too would consult the ADA, If your building dept. can't make this work
for you, I'm sure the ADA would have a law suit for them. If nothing else
works, install the step as they want it, get your C.O., then rip it out and
build a ramp

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.

On Fri, 24 Dec 2004 15:24:12 -0500, "rf" wrote:

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?

Any advice would be appreciated.

RF

Code hasn't required that for years, if ever. Sounds like a local guy
with a bug up his but.

Dan

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
"RBM" rmottola1(remove wrote in message
...
I too would consult the ADA, If your building dept. can't
make this
work for you, I'm sure the ADA would have a law suit for
them. If
nothing else works, install the step as they want it, get
your
C.O., then rip it out and build a ramp

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.

Dan wrote:
On Fri, 24 Dec 2004 15:24:12 -0500, "rf"
wrote:

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?

Any advice would be appreciated.

RF

Code hasn't required that for years, if ever. Sounds like a
local
guy with a bug up his but.

Dan

Hmm, I didn't catch the word "apparently"; good point! Wanna bet
it's a neighbor with good intentions? You know, the kind who
know just everything?

Pop

rf wrote:
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.

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 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?

Any advice would be appreciated.

RF

--
Joseph Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math

"rf" wrote in message
...
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?

Any advice would be appreciated.

RF



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

"rf" wrote in message

and the house. Apparently code requires a step up to the house to avoid
carbon monoxide escaping fromj the garage into into the house.

The more I think about it . . . . .

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.

Why are you concerned about carbon monoxide getting into the house.

Drive in shut off car.. get out of car.. shut the garage door. If you have
remote start don't start car in the garage!!!!!!!

Tom.

"rf" wrote in message
...
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?

Any advice would be appreciated.

RF

"twfsa" wrote in message
news:2Lfzd.6223$ce6.1828@lakeread07...
Why are you concerned about carbon monoxide getting into the house.

Drive in shut off car.. get out of car.. shut the garage door. If you
have remote start don't start car in the garage!!!!!!!


He is not concerned, the building code is the concern. Go explain your
simple formula to the building inspector and I'm sure he'll change the
codes.

step ramp same thing put in a ramp make things simple I always kind of
wondered about that but didn't give it much thought?

Wayne
"twfsa" wrote in message
news:2Lfzd.6223$ce6.1828@lakeread07...
Why are you concerned about carbon monoxide getting into the house.

Drive in shut off car.. get out of car.. shut the garage door. If you
have remote start don't start car in the garage!!!!!!!

Tom.

"rf" wrote in message
...
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?

Any advice would be appreciated.

RF