Insulation

Garage conversions will most likely need additional insulation as the garage space will be converted into a habitable room, and therefore must adhere to building regulations for insulation in this kind of room. These regulations set a U-value for insulation, which assesses the rate of heat loss. These are set differently for walls, floors, and roofs. To meet building regulations the garage conversion must meet the U-values in all of the areas, but extra insulation can be installed to surpass these values and improve energy efficiency. Wall insulation for garage conversions is typically 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 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 standard as the rest of your home. Flat roofs also 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 option 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 elevating in order to meet the rest of the home as another layer of insulation can be easily added to either a elevated concrete floor, timber joists or a floating floor. If flooring doesn’t need to be elevated it might be necessary to dig out the floor to add the required insulation.