Insulation

Garage conversions usually necessitate extra insulation as the garage space will be altered to a habitable room, and therefore must adhere to building regulations for insulation in this kind of room. These regulations designate a U-value for insulation, which assesses the rate of heat loss. These are set differently for walls, floors, and roofs. To adhere to building regulations the garage conversion must meet the U-values in all three of the areas, but extra insulation can be installed to surpass 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 existing walls. This will add thermal insulation and stop heat from dissipating through the walls. Insulation must be installed around windows and doors as these areas can leak heat especially poorly. Roofs for garage conversions will additionally require insulation. Pitched roofs will require insulation to the same level as the rest of your home. Flat roofs also require insulation. This is performed 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 added above the roof joists. Floor insulation is also essential in garage conversions. This is easier if the floor level of the garage requires elevating in order to meet the rest of the home as another layer of insulation can be easily put into either a raised concrete floor, timber joists or a floating floor. If flooring does not need to be raised it might be necessary to dig out the floor to add the required insulation.