Insulation

Garage conversions frequently require additional insulation as the garage space will be altered to a habitable room, and therefore has to adhere to building regulations for insulation in this type of room. These regulations set a U-value for insulation, which assesses 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 extra insulation can be installed to surpass these values and increase energy efficiency. Wall insulation for garage conversions is typically done by employing internal wall insulation, which adds insulated plasterboard to the existing walls. This will add thermal insulation and prevent heat from dissipating through the walls. Insulation must also be added around doors and windows as these areas can leak heat especially badly. Roofs for garage conversions will additionally require insulation. Pitched roofs need insulation to the same level as the rest of your home. Flat roofs also require insulation. This is performed 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 needed in garage conversions. This is less difficult if the floor level of the garage requires raising in order to meet the rest of the home as an extra layer of insulation can be easily added to either a lifted concrete floor, timber joists or a floating floor. If flooring does not need to be raised it could be necessary to dig out the floor to add the required insulation.