Insulation

Garage conversions will often need additional 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 specify a U-value for insulation, which assesses the rate of heat loss. These are set differently for walls, flooring, and roofs. To comply with building regulations the garage conversion must meet the U-values in all three of these areas, but supplementary insulation can be added 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 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 especially poorly. 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 option is a warm roof, where insulation is added 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 another layer of insulation can be easily added to either a raised concrete floor, timber joists or a floating floor. If flooring does not need to be elevated it might be necessary to dig out the floor to add the required insulation.