Insulation

Garage conversions usually necessitate 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 specify a U-value for insulation, which assesses 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 three of these areas, but additional insulation can be added to surpass these values and improve energy efficiency. Wall insulation for garage conversions is normally done 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 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 standard as the rest of your home. Flat roofs also require insulation. This can be achieved using a cold roof system, where insulation is fixed between the roof joists along with ventilation to avoid condensation forming. The other possibility is a warm roof, where insulation is added above the roof joists. Floor insulation is also essential 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 another layer of insulation can be easily put into 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.