Insulation

Garage conversions will often necessitate supplementary insulation as the garage space will be altered to a habitable room, and therefore needs to comply with building regulations for insulation in this kind of space. These regulations specify a U-value for insulation, which measures 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 of the areas, but additional insulation can be installed to surpass these values and increase 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 doors and windows as these areas can leak heat especially badly. Roofs for garage conversions will also require insulation. Pitched roofs will require insulation to the same level as the rest of your home. Flat roofs also require insulation. This can be performed 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 elevating in order to meet the rest of the house as an extra layer of insulation can be easily put into either a raised concrete floor, timber joists or a floating floor. If the floor does not need to be raised it could be necessary to dig out the floor to add the required insulation.