Insulation

Garage conversions often necessitate additional insulation as the garage space will be altered to a habitable room, and consequently has to comply with building regulations for insulation in this kind of room. These regulations set a U-value for insulation, which measures the rate of heat loss. These are set differently for walls, floors, and roofing. To meet 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 increase energy efficiency. Wall insulation for garage conversions is normally accomplished by making use of internal wall insulation, which adds insulated plasterboard to the pre-existing walls. This will add thermal insulation and stop heat from dissipating through the walls. Insulation must also be installed around doors and windows as these areas can leak heat particularly severely. Roofs for garage conversions will also require insulation. Pitched roofs need insulation to the same level as the rest of your home. Flat roofs also require insulation. This is achieved utilizing 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 easier if the floor level of the garage requires lifting in order to meet the rest of the home 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 elevated it might be necessary to dig out the floor to add the necessary insulation.