Insulation

Garage conversions often necessitate additional insulation as the garage space will be converted into a habitable room, and therefore has to comply with building regulations for insulation in this kind of space. 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 adhere to building regulations the garage conversion must meet the U-values in all of these areas, but additional insulation can be installed to exceed these values and improve energy efficiency. Wall insulation for garage conversions is typically accomplished 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 installed around windows and doors as these areas can leak heat especially poorly. Roofs for garage conversions will additionally require insulation. Pitched roofs need insulation to the same standard as the rest of your house. Flat roofs additionally require insulation. This can be done using a cold roof system, where insulation is fixed between the roof joists along with ventilation to avoid 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 raising in order to meet the rest of the home as an additional layer of insulation can be easily put into either a elevated concrete floor, timber joists or a floating floor. If the floor does not need to be raised it might be necessary to dig out the floor to add the required insulation.