Insulation

Garage conversions often necessitate extra insulation as the garage space will be altered to a habitable room, and therefore must adhere to building regulations for insulation in this type of space. These regulations designate a U-value for insulation, which assesses the rate of heat loss. These are set differently for walls, flooring, and roofing. To meet building regulations the garage conversion must meet the U-values in all of these areas, but supplementary insulation can be installed to exceed these values and increase 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 prevent heat from dissipating through the walls. Insulation must be added around windows and doors as these areas can leak heat especially poorly. Roofs for garage conversions will additionally require insulation. Pitched roofs will demand insulation to the same level as the rest of your home. Flat roofs additionally require insulation. This can be done by using a cold roof system, where insulation is fixed between the roof joists along with ventilation to avoid condensation forming. The other option 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 elevating in order to meet the rest of the house as an extra layer of insulation can be easily put into either a elevated concrete floor, timber joists or a floating floor. If flooring doesn’t need to be raised it may be necessary to dig out the floor to add the required insulation.