Insulation

Garage conversions will most likely necessitate supplementary insulation as the garage space will be altered to a habitable room, and therefore needs to adhere to building regulations for insulation in this kind of room. These regulations designate a U-value for insulation, which measures the rate of heat loss. These are set differently for walls, floors, and roofs. To meet building regulations the garage conversion must meet the U-values in all of these areas, but supplementary insulation can be installed to surpass these values and improve energy efficiency. Wall insulation for garage conversions is normally done 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 also be installed around windows and doors as these areas can leak heat particularly badly. Roofs for garage conversions will additionally require insulation. Pitched roofs will demand insulation to the same level as the rest of the property. Flat roofs additionally require insulation. This is achieved 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 required 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 raised 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 required insulation.