Insulation

Garage conversions will most likely need additional insulation as the garage space will be altered to a habitable room, and therefore must comply with building regulations for insulation in this type of room. These regulations set a U-value for insulation, which gauges the rate of heat loss. These are set differently for walls, floors, and roofs. To comply with building regulations the garage conversion must meet the U-values in all three of these areas, but additional insulation can be added to exceed these values and improve energy efficiency. Wall insulation for garage conversions is normally accomplished by employing 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 need insulation to the same standard as the rest of the property. Flat roofs also require insulation. This can be done 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 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 an extra layer of insulation can be easily put into either a lifted concrete floor, timber joists or a floating floor. If the floor doesn’t need to be elevated it could be necessary to dig out the floor to add the necessary insulation.