Insulation

Garage conversions frequently need additional 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 room. These regulations specify a U-value for insulation, which measures the rate of heat loss. These are set differently for walls, floors, and roofs. To meet building regulations the garage conversion must meet the U-values in all three of these areas, but additional insulation can be added to exceed these values and increase energy efficiency. Wall insulation for garage conversions is typically done by using internal wall insulation, which adds insulated plasterboard to the pre-existing walls. This will add thermal insulation and stop heat from dissipating through the walls. Insulation must also be installed around doors and windows as these areas can leak heat particularly badly. Roofs for garage conversions will additionally require insulation. Pitched roofs will require insulation to the same level as the rest of the property. Flat roofs additionally require insulation. This can be achieved utilizing a cold roof system, where insulation is fixed between the roof joists along with ventilation to prevent 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 less difficult 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 added to either a elevated 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.