Insulation

Garage conversions will most likely need additional insulation as the garage space will be converted into a habitable room, and therefore needs to adhere to building regulations for insulation in this type of room. These regulations specify a U-value for insulation, which gauges the rate of heat loss. These are set differently for walls, floors, and roofing. 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 exceed these values and improve energy efficiency. Wall insulation for garage conversions is normally accomplished by making use of internal wall insulation, which adds insulated plasterboard to the pre-existing walls. This will add thermal insulation and stop heat from dissipating through the walls. Insulation must also be installed around windows and doors as these areas can leak heat particularly severely. Roofs for garage conversions will also require insulation. Pitched roofs will require insulation to the same standard as the rest of your house. Flat roofs also require insulation. This is done using 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 needed in garage conversions. This is easier 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 lifted concrete floor, timber joists or a floating floor. If flooring doesn’t need to be elevated it could be necessary to dig out the floor to add the necessary insulation.