Insulation

Garage conversions will most likely need extra insulation as the garage space will be altered to a habitable room, and therefore must comply with building regulations for insulation in this kind of room. 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 additional insulation can be added to exceed these values and increase energy efficiency. Wall insulation for garage conversions is typically accomplished by making use of 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 also be added around windows and doors as these areas can leak heat particularly poorly. 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 performed utilizing 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 required in garage conversions. This is easier 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 lifted it could be necessary to dig out the floor to add the necessary insulation.