Insulation

Garage conversions usually need extra insulation as the garage space will be altered to a habitable room, and consequently must adhere to building regulations for insulation in this type of room. These regulations specify a U-value for insulation, which assesses the rate of heat loss. These are set differently for walls, flooring, and roofing. To meet building regulations the garage conversion must meet the U-values in all three of the areas, but supplementary insulation can be installed to surpass these values and improve energy efficiency. Wall insulation for garage conversions is typically performed by employing 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 added around windows and doors as these areas can leak heat particularly badly. Roofs for garage conversions will also require insulation. Pitched roofs will require insulation to the same level as the rest of your home. Flat roofs additionally require insulation. This is performed 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 lifting 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 lifted it may be necessary to dig out the floor to add the required insulation.