Insulation

Garage conversions will often necessitate extra insulation as the garage space will be altered to a habitable room, and consequently must adhere to building regulations for insulation in this type of space. These regulations specify a U-value for insulation, which assesses the rate of heat loss. These are set differently for walls, floors, and roofing. To adhere to building regulations the garage conversion must meet the U-values in all three of the areas, but supplementary insulation can be installed to exceed these values and improve energy efficiency. Wall insulation for garage conversions is normally done 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 be added around doors and windows as these areas can leak heat especially severely. Roofs for garage conversions will also require insulation. Pitched roofs will demand insulation to the same level as the rest of the property. Flat roofs also require insulation. This can be achieved 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 easier 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 raised concrete floor, timber joists or a floating floor. If the floor doesn’t need to be lifted it could be necessary to dig out the floor to add the necessary insulation.