Insulation

Garage conversions typically require additional insulation as the garage space will be altered to a habitable room, and therefore must comply with building regulations for insulation in this kind of room. These regulations specify a U-value for insulation, which measures the rate of heat loss. These are set differently for walls, flooring, and roofs. To adhere to building regulations the garage conversion must meet the U-values in all three of the areas, but additional insulation can be installed to exceed these values and improve energy efficiency. Wall insulation for garage conversions is typically accomplished 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 installed around windows and doors as these areas can leak heat especially 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 additionally require insulation. This can be 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 essential in garage conversions. This is less difficult if the floor level of the garage requires raising in order to meet the rest of the house as an extra layer of insulation can be easily added to either a lifted concrete floor, timber joists or a floating floor. If the floor does not need to be lifted it could be necessary to dig out the floor to add the necessary insulation.