Insulation

Garage conversions often require supplementary insulation as the garage space will be altered to a habitable room, and therefore needs to adhere to building regulations for insulation in this kind of space. These regulations set a U-value for insulation, which gauges the rate of heat loss. These are set differently for walls, floors, and roofing. To meet building regulations the garage conversion must meet the U-values in all of these areas, but supplementary insulation can be installed to exceed these values and increase energy efficiency. Wall insulation for garage conversions is normally done 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 be installed around doors and windows as these areas can leak heat particularly severely. Roofs for garage conversions will also require insulation. Pitched roofs will demand insulation to the same level as the rest of your home. Flat roofs also require insulation. This is achieved 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 essential in garage conversions. This is less difficult if the floor level of the garage requires lifting in order to meet the rest of the home as an additional layer of insulation can be easily put into either a lifted 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 necessary insulation.