Insulation

Garage conversions will often require additional insulation as the garage space will be altered to a habitable room, and consequently needs to comply with building regulations for insulation in this type of space. These regulations designate a U-value for insulation, which measures the rate of heat loss. These are set differently for walls, flooring, and roofs. To meet building regulations the garage conversion must meet the U-values in all of the areas, but additional insulation can be installed to surpass these values and improve energy efficiency. Wall insulation for garage conversions is normally accomplished by using 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 particularly poorly. Roofs for garage conversions will also require insulation. Pitched roofs need insulation to the same level as the rest of your house. Flat roofs additionally require insulation. This is done by using a cold roof system, where insulation is fixed between the roof joists along with ventilation to prevent condensation forming. The other option is a warm roof, where insulation is installed above the roof joists. Floor insulation is also required in garage conversions. This is easier if the floor level of the garage requires elevating in order to meet the rest of the house as an extra layer of insulation can be easily put into either a elevated concrete floor, timber joists or a floating floor. If the floor doesn’t need to be elevated it could be necessary to dig out the floor to add the required insulation.