Insulation

Garage conversions usually require additional insulation as the garage space will be altered to a habitable room, and consequently needs to adhere to building regulations for insulation in this kind of space. These regulations specify a U-value for insulation, which measures the rate of heat loss. These are set differently for walls, flooring, and roofs. To comply with building regulations the garage conversion must meet the U-values in all three of these areas, but additional insulation can be added to surpass these values and increase energy efficiency. Wall insulation for garage conversions is normally performed by using internal wall insulation, which adds insulated plasterboard to the pre-existing walls. This will add thermal insulation and prevent heat from dissipating through the walls. Insulation must also be installed around doors and windows as these areas can leak heat particularly severely. Roofs for garage conversions will additionally require insulation. Pitched roofs will demand insulation to the same standard as the rest of your house. 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 prevent condensation forming. The other possibility is a warm roof, where insulation is added above the roof joists. Floor insulation is also essential 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 added to either a lifted concrete floor, timber joists or a floating floor. If flooring doesn’t need to be lifted it could be necessary to dig out the floor to add the necessary insulation.