Insulation

Garage conversions frequently require extra insulation as the garage space will be altered to a habitable room, and consequently must comply with building regulations for insulation in this kind of room. These regulations designate a U-value for insulation, which assesses the rate of heat loss. These are set differently for walls, floors, and roofs. To comply with building regulations the garage conversion must meet the U-values in all three of the areas, but extra insulation can be installed to exceed these values and increase energy efficiency. Wall insulation for garage conversions is typically performed by employing 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 particularly 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 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 needed in garage conversions. This is less difficult if the floor level of the garage requires raising in order to meet the rest of the home as an additional layer of insulation can be easily put into either a lifted concrete floor, timber joists or a floating floor. If the floor does not need to be lifted it may be necessary to dig out the floor to add the necessary insulation.