Insulation

Garage conversions typically necessitate supplementary insulation as the garage space will be changed into a habitable room, and therefore must comply with building regulations for insulation in this type of space. These regulations specify a U-value for insulation, which assesses the rate of heat loss. These are set differently for walls, floors, and roofs. To meet building regulations the garage conversion must meet the U-values in all three of the areas, but extra insulation can be added to surpass 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 stop heat from dissipating through the walls. Insulation must be added around doors and windows as these areas can leak heat especially poorly. Roofs for garage conversions will additionally require insulation. Pitched roofs will demand insulation to the same standard as the rest of the property. Flat roofs also require insulation. This is performed by 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 needed in garage conversions. This is easier if the floor level of the garage requires lifting in order to meet the rest of the house as an additional layer of insulation can be easily added to either a raised concrete floor, timber joists or a floating floor. If flooring does not need to be lifted it could be necessary to dig out the floor to add the required insulation.