Indoor/Outdoor Carpet on garage floor - InspectionNews

imported_John Smith · #1 (**permalink**) 08-18-2008, 06:58 PM

Thoughts on an entire garage with wall to wall indoor / outdoor carpet? Owners do actually use it and park two cars on it nightly. For what its worth, its an attached garage.

I think that it will get pretty nasty pretty quick due to car crud/fluids etc getting onto it. It also seems like it would increase the likelihood of a fire due to fluid saturation.

Their cars arent show cars either. One is a minivan and the other is an old chevy cavalier.

Jerry Peck · #2 (**permalink**) 08-18-2008, 07:10 PM

From the 2006 IRC. (underlining is mine)
- R309.3 Floor surface. Garage floor surfaces shall be of approved noncombustible material.
- - The area of floor used for parking of automobiles or other vehicles shall be sloped to facilitate the movement of liquids to a drain or toward the main vehicle entry doorway.

Ron Bibler · #3 (**permalink**) 08-18-2008, 07:39 PM

I find a lot of cracks in garage floors. that carpet is limiting your inspection to the condition of the concrete.

Some types of glue can make condition just right for molds, fungus infection and carpet beetles.

Best

Ron

Jerry McCarthy · #4 (**permalink**) 08-18-2008, 07:39 PM

I have it on reliable authority that only Darwin Candidates carpet their garage floors.

Jim Luttrall · #5 (**permalink**) 08-18-2008, 08:15 PM

Somebody's tag line here used to be "I get paid to be suspicious."
That fits here, as in "what are they trying to hide?"

imported_John Smith · #6 (**permalink**) 08-19-2008, 04:09 PM

I did put in my report that the carpet could be masking cracking or other damage in the garage floor. It didnt look that great, although it was new carpet, and must have cost quite a bit to install.

I wasnt impressed. I dont recall ever seeing anything like carpeting in garages I have done where they had collector cars.

Jim Luttrall · #7 (**permalink**) 08-19-2008, 05:33 PM

Guys with collector cars are typically smarter than to keep a fire hazard that collects mold, moisture, etc. around their babies.

Ted Menelly · #8 (**permalink**) 08-19-2008, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Luttrall

Guys with collector cars are typically smarter than to keep a fire hazard that collects mold, moisture, etc. around their babies.

OK, lets see the car collection pics Jim

Jim Luttrall · #9 (**permalink**) 08-19-2008, 07:56 PM

I'm an inspector not a collector. It may rhyme but that is as close as I can get to affording collectible cars. I do wish I still had a few I have owned over the years though...
66 Malibu 396
73 240z
49 GMC pickup
motorcycles

I got the buying part down, it is the holding I have trouble with.