Insulation

Garage conversions will often necessitate additional insulation as the garage space will be converted into a habitable room, and therefore has to comply with building regulations for insulation in this type of space. These regulations specify a U-value for insulation, which gauges the rate of heat loss. These are set differently for walls, flooring, and roofs. To adhere to building regulations the garage conversion must meet the U-values in all of the areas, but additional insulation can be installed to exceed these values and increase energy efficiency. Wall insulation for garage conversions is normally done 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 added around windows and doors as these areas can leak heat especially severely. Roofs for garage conversions will also require insulation. Pitched roofs will demand insulation to the same level as the rest of your house. 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 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 lifting in order to meet the rest of the home as an additional 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 elevated it may be necessary to dig out the floor to add the required insulation.