Insulation

Garage conversions will most likely necessitate supplementary insulation as the garage space will be changed into a habitable room, and therefore needs to comply with 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 roofing. To adhere to building regulations the garage conversion must meet the U-values in all three of the areas, but supplementary insulation can be installed to exceed these values and improve energy efficiency. Wall insulation for garage conversions is typically performed by making use of 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 added around windows and doors as these areas can leak heat especially badly. Roofs for garage conversions will also require insulation. Pitched roofs need insulation to the same level as the rest of your house. Flat roofs additionally 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 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 raising in order to meet the rest of the house as an additional 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 may be necessary to dig out the floor to add the required insulation.