Insulation

Garage conversions will most likely need additional insulation as the garage space will be altered to a habitable room, and consequently needs 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 roofing. To comply with 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 increase energy efficiency. Wall insulation for garage conversions is typically performed 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 added around doors and windows as these areas can leak heat particularly poorly. Roofs for garage conversions will additionally require insulation. Pitched roofs will demand insulation to the same level as the rest of the property. Flat roofs additionally require insulation. This is 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 added above the roof joists. Floor insulation is also required in garage conversions. This is less difficult if the floor level of the garage requires elevating in order to meet the rest of the house as an additional layer of insulation can be easily added to either a lifted concrete floor, timber joists or a floating floor. If the floor does not need to be elevated it might be necessary to dig out the floor to add the required insulation.