Insulation

Garage conversions will often need extra insulation as the garage space will be changed into a habitable room, and therefore must adhere to building regulations for insulation in this kind 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 adhere to building regulations the garage conversion must meet the U-values in all three of these areas, but additional 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 prevent 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 also require insulation. Pitched roofs will require insulation to the same standard as the rest of the property. Flat roofs additionally require insulation. This can be performed 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 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 house as an additional layer of insulation can be easily put into either a raised concrete floor, timber joists or a floating floor. If the floor doesn’t need to be lifted it might be necessary to dig out the floor to add the necessary insulation.