Insulation

Garage conversions will often need additional insulation as the garage space will be changed into a habitable room, and therefore has to adhere to building regulations for insulation in this type of room. These regulations specify a U-value for insulation, which measures 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 supplementary insulation can be installed to surpass these values and increase energy efficiency. Wall insulation for garage conversions is typically accomplished by employing internal wall insulation, which adds insulated plasterboard to the existing walls. This will add thermal insulation and prevent heat from dissipating through the walls. Insulation must also 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 your house. Flat roofs also require insulation. This can be achieved utilizing 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 lifting in order to meet the rest of the house as an additional layer of insulation can be easily added to either a elevated concrete floor, timber joists or a floating floor. If flooring doesn’t need to be raised it might be necessary to dig out the floor to add the necessary insulation.