Insulation

Garage conversions will often necessitate additional insulation as the garage space will be altered to a habitable room, and therefore has to adhere to building regulations for insulation in this kind of space. These regulations specify a U-value for insulation, which gauges 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 of these areas, but supplementary insulation can be installed to surpass these values and increase energy efficiency. Wall insulation for garage conversions is typically done by making use of 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 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 will require insulation to the same level as the rest of the property. Flat roofs also require insulation. This can be done 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 installed above the roof joists. Floor insulation is also essential in garage conversions. This is easier if the floor level of the garage requires raising in order to meet the rest of the home as another layer of insulation can be easily added to either a lifted concrete floor, timber joists or a floating floor. If flooring doesn’t need to be elevated it might be necessary to dig out the floor to add the required insulation.