How to Prevent Secondhand Smoke from Entering Your Garage

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posted on 18 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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If one of your neighbors smokes in their driveway or yard, or someone passing by is smoking, garages are by far the most likely to get their air contaminated by tobacco smoke. Why? Because they are intentionally inadequately sealed to get air from outside so they stay cool, and an air conditioner is out of the question unless you are willing to pay a lot. You can protect the air quality in your garage using either or both of these methods.

Steps

Seal Your Garage

Identify all air leaks. You will usually find cracks in the corners of the bottom of the garage door when it's closed, as well as a rectangular hole somewhere else along the wall with nothing but wire closing it - that hole is for ventilation, to get "fresh" air from outside.

Board up the rectangular ventilation hole. Put one large piece of plywood over it, and nail that right outside of the hole where the wall touches the board. Only do this if the hole faces the direction you think the some is coming from.

Seal the bottom of the garage door. Get some rubber patches and put them in any large gaps in the bottom corners. Staple, melt, glue or even just tape them to the rubber cushion above the gap.

Set up a large fan in a spot in the garage. While this won't remove any of the chemicals or gases found in car exhaust and tobacco smoke or raise the oxygen content, it will certainly make it color and smells will be less noticeable.

Get a doggy door in the door that connects your garage to your house, if they are connected. Open it a few minutes before going in the garage, so that it gets some cool air from inside your house.

Prevent it

Find out who it is that is smoking, if you don't already know. Maybe if you just suddenly started smelling smoke frequently, it is someone who just moved here. Ask around to find out who it is.

Leave an anonymous note on their door. Here is a perfect example of one, modify it a little to fit whatever the situation is; Dear ________, I've been smelling smoke in my garage lately, and I may not be the only one on this street smelling your smoke. I respect your right to smoke, and understand why you don't smoke inside your house. Smoking outside shifts the problem elsewhere, from your kids and spouse to your neighbors and the public. I want my right as a member of the non-smoking majority respected just as much as you want your rights as a smoker respected. Please find somewhere to smoke where it affects no unwilling people.

Talk to them if the note didn't seem to work. Remember; be sure to go over all the points mentioned in the letter. Always use good manners, even if it is clear that you could have telling points and win in an argument; smokers will do anything to justify smoking and defend it simply because of their chemical addiction.