# How Do They Deal With Decomposition Gases In Mausoleums? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 17, 2004, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-deal-with-decomposition-gases-in-mausoleums/229635 "2004-02-17T08:09:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2004, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-deal-with-decomposition-gases-in-mausoleums/229635/1 "2004-02-17T08:09:32Z")
Cecil Adams has dealt with questions dealing with death before, as have these boards, I’m sure. My question has to do with mausoleums, and the escaping gases that normally accompany death. I know some coffin makers have lids that allow these gases to escape, so the casket lid doesn’t literally blow off while it is is _in the ground_. But what happens when the casket is in one of those modern cement vaults usually found in buildings, we call mausoleums? Don’t they run the risk of literally **exploding** :eek: ? Or is there some way they allow the gases to vent out? A pipe or something. And for that matter, what happens if they have to open the vault for some reason? Does it explode then? I’ve really wondered this for some time. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2004, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-deal-with-decomposition-gases-in-mausoleums/229635/2 "2004-02-17T09:25:26Z")
From [this page:](http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/nation/7317877.htm) > [@](#): > > How do they keep odors out of mausoleums? Tubes in back of the crypts vent gases as bodies decompose.