Insulation

Garage conversions frequently necessitate additional insulation as the garage space will be altered to a habitable room, and consequently must comply with 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, flooring, 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 surpass these values and improve energy efficiency. Wall insulation for garage conversions is typically performed by employing internal wall insulation, which adds insulated plasterboard to the existing walls. This will add thermal insulation and stop heat from dissipating through the walls. Insulation must be installed around windows and doors as these areas can leak heat especially badly. Roofs for garage conversions will additionally require insulation. Pitched roofs need insulation to the same level as the rest of your home. Flat roofs also require insulation. This can be performed by 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 essential in garage conversions. This is less difficult if the floor level of the garage requires raising in order to meet the rest of the house as an extra layer of insulation can be easily put into either a lifted 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 necessary insulation.