Insulation

Garage conversions will often necessitate additional insulation as the garage space will be converted into a habitable room, and therefore needs to comply with building regulations for insulation in this type of space. These regulations designate a U-value for insulation, which assesses the rate of heat loss. These are set differently for walls, floors, and roofs. To adhere to building regulations the garage conversion must meet the U-values in all of these areas, but extra insulation can be added to exceed these values and improve energy efficiency. Wall insulation for garage conversions is typically accomplished by employing internal wall insulation, which adds insulated plasterboard to the pre-existing walls. This will add thermal insulation and stop heat from dissipating through the walls. Insulation must also be added around windows and doors as these areas can leak heat especially severely. Roofs for garage conversions will additionally require insulation. Pitched roofs need insulation to the same level as the rest of the property. Flat roofs additionally require insulation. This is achieved by using a cold roof system, where insulation is fixed between the roof joists along with ventilation to avoid condensation forming. The other possibility is a warm roof, where insulation is installed above the roof joists. Floor insulation is also required in garage conversions. This is less difficult if the floor level of the garage requires raising in order to meet the rest of the house as an additional layer of insulation can be easily put into either a raised concrete floor, timber joists or a floating floor. If flooring does not need to be elevated it might be necessary to dig out the floor to add the required insulation.