Insulation

Garage conversions often need supplementary insulation as the garage space will be altered to a habitable room, and therefore has to comply with building regulations for insulation in this kind 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 roofs. To comply with building regulations the garage conversion must meet the U-values in all three of these areas, but extra insulation can be installed to surpass these values and improve energy efficiency. Wall insulation for garage conversions is normally done 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 particularly badly. Roofs for garage conversions will additionally require insulation. Pitched roofs need insulation to the same level as the rest of the property. Flat roofs additionally require insulation. This can be achieved utilizing a cold roof system, where insulation is fixed between the roof joists along with ventilation to prevent 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 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 elevated concrete floor, timber joists or a floating floor. If the floor doesn’t need to be raised it may be necessary to dig out the floor to add the necessary insulation.