Insulation

Garage conversions frequently need additional insulation as the garage space will be converted into a habitable room, and therefore must comply with building regulations for insulation in this type of room. These regulations specify a U-value for insulation, which assesses the rate of heat loss. These are set differently for walls, floors, and roofing. To comply with building regulations the garage conversion must meet the U-values in all of these 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 existing walls. This will add thermal insulation and prevent heat from dissipating through the walls. Insulation must be added around windows and doors as these areas can leak heat particularly poorly. Roofs for garage conversions will additionally require insulation. Pitched roofs will demand insulation to the same level as the rest of your home. Flat roofs also require insulation. This can be performed 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 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 home as an additional layer of insulation can be easily put into either a raised concrete floor, timber joists or a floating floor. If flooring doesn’t need to be elevated it may be necessary to dig out the floor to add the required insulation.