Insulation

Garage conversions typically require additional 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 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 the areas, but extra insulation can be installed to exceed these values and improve energy efficiency. Wall insulation for garage conversions is typically done by employing internal wall insulation, which adds insulated plasterboard to the pre-existing walls. This will add thermal insulation and prevent heat from dissipating through the walls. Insulation must also be added around doors and windows as these areas can leak heat especially poorly. Roofs for garage conversions will additionally require insulation. Pitched roofs will demand insulation to the same standard as the rest of your home. Flat roofs also require insulation. This can be achieved using a cold roof system, where insulation is fixed between the roof joists along with ventilation to prevent condensation forming. The other possibility is a warm roof, where insulation is added above the roof joists. Floor insulation is also required in garage conversions. This is less difficult if the floor level of the garage requires raising in order to meet the rest of the house as another 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 elevated it could be necessary to dig out the floor to add the required insulation.