Garage

The garage can be one of the most vulnerable parts of the house. Generally, garages are not well sealed since they are not heated or cooled. Additionally, garages often have multiple vents, especially if they are equipped with water heaters or laundry appliances. As most household flammable materials are stored in the garage, embers entering through door gaps or vents are extremely dangerous. Moreover, garage doors may have windows in the top sections that can easily be broken by heat or flying debris (although the glass in newer doors are usually tempered). Any type of garage without doors, such as an attached carport, is an even greater concern. Typically, garages of this type have a large amount of combustibles and plenty of nooks and crannies for embers to lodge.

Diagram illustrating the areas on a garage most vulnerable to wildfire.

Garage Type or Component	Description and Vulnerabilities	Recommendations
Garage Door with Bottom Gap	This roll-up garage door has not been properly adjusted, creating a gap at the bottom where embers could easily enter.	Make sure that the garage door is properly programmed or that the rails are adjusted to ensure full closure.
Garage Door with Top Gap	This roll-up door has a gap at the top that cannot be filled with weatherstrip, exposing the garage to embers.	Materials that cover the gap through the edges can be added. In this example, a 2x4 piece has been tacked on to show how the upper opening in the framing could be blocked if it were extended the full width.
Garage Door with Glass	This garage car door has glass panels that could break during wildfire exposure. Flames could then spread along the door and the eave.	Tempered glass would behave better than annealed glass, but could still break during a fire. The glass could be replaced by panels.
Garage Door with Vents	Gaps between the garage door and framing, as well as the vents at the base of this door, would be vulnerable to the entry of burning embers.	Replace the vents with fire-resistant ones (see Vents section).
Garage Space Without Door	Attached spaces without a door are extremely vulnerable to embers.	In this case, large amounts of combustible materials are accumulated in the garage and they should be removed. Alternatively, a door could be installed to prevent embers from entering the space.
Entry Door with Tempered Glass Window	The window in this particular door is tempered glass, but is also single pane which does not offer a great protection in case of fire.	Replace the single pane window with a double pane (if possible), or consider replacing the window with a panel.
Steel-Clad Entry Door	This door can provide some fire resistance.	Keep vegetation and combustible materials away from the entry door.

How Can You Protect Your Garage?

• Fill or plug any holes or gaps on or around your garage door: gaps can serve as entry points for embers. Filling or plugging these gaps will improve your garage door's ability to resist wildfires.
  • Install weather stripping at the top and bottom of your garage to help seal up gaps. For roll-up doors, adjust your roll-up mechanism after installation to ensure a proper seal. Similar solutions can apply to tilt-type doors.
• Replace glass elements with fire-rated glass: glass panels on garage doors or single pane windows on entry doors should be replaced with fire-rated solutions or filled in with panels.
• Remove combustible materials from carports: minimize combustible materials within attached carports. 

  • Open carports can pose a serious threat to your home during wildfires. Consider installing a proper garage enclosure to reduce risk. 

     

California Regulations

Garage doors are covered under Chapter 7A. Since they are considered exterior doors, they must comply with the exterior door provisions. According to Chapter 7A of the California Building Code, garage doors should:

• Being made of non-combustible or ignition resistant material.
• Having a 20-minute fire resistance rating.
• Comply via SFM 12-7A-1 for walls.
• Comply prescriptively by being constructed of solid wood meeting minimum thickness requirements for stiles and rails [1-3/8 inches] and field panels [1-1/4 inches].

Products and assemblies that have complied with Chapter 7A can be found in the WUI Product Handbook.