Insulation

Garage conversions will most likely necessitate extra insulation as the garage space will be altered to a habitable room, and consequently must adhere to building regulations for insulation in this kind of space. These regulations set a U-value for insulation, which gauges 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 of the areas, but supplementary insulation can be added to surpass these values and improve energy efficiency. Wall insulation for garage conversions is typically performed by using 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 installed around doors and windows as these areas can leak heat particularly badly. Roofs for garage conversions will also require insulation. Pitched roofs need insulation to the same level as the rest of your home. Flat roofs additionally require insulation. This can be performed by 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 installed above the roof joists. Floor insulation is also needed in garage conversions. This is less difficult 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 added to either a elevated concrete floor, timber joists or a floating floor. If flooring doesn’t need to be lifted it could be necessary to dig out the floor to add the required insulation.