Insulation

Garage conversions often require additional insulation as the garage space will be converted into a habitable room, and therefore must adhere to 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, flooring, and roofing. To comply with building regulations the garage conversion must meet the U-values in all three of the areas, but additional insulation can be added to surpass these values and increase energy efficiency. Wall insulation for garage conversions is typically performed by using 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 added around doors and windows as these areas can leak heat especially badly. Roofs for garage conversions will additionally require insulation. Pitched roofs will require insulation to the same standard as the rest of your home. Flat roofs additionally require insulation. This can be achieved utilizing a cold roof system, where insulation is fixed between the roof joists along with ventilation to avoid condensation forming. The other possibility is a warm roof, where insulation is added above the roof joists. Floor insulation is also essential in garage conversions. This is easier if the floor level of the garage requires lifting in order to meet the rest of the house as an additional layer of insulation can be easily put into either a raised concrete floor, timber joists or a floating floor. If flooring does not need to be lifted it may be necessary to dig out the floor to add the required insulation.