Insulation

Garage conversions will often need additional insulation as the garage space will be altered to a habitable room, and consequently 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, flooring, and roofing. To meet building regulations the garage conversion must meet the U-values in all of these areas, but supplementary insulation can be installed to exceed these values and improve energy efficiency. Wall insulation for garage conversions is normally accomplished 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 be added around windows and doors as these areas can leak heat especially badly. Roofs for garage conversions will also require insulation. Pitched roofs need insulation to the same standard as the rest of the property. Flat roofs additionally require insulation. This is performed by 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 easier if the floor level of the garage requires lifting in order to meet the rest of the house as another layer of insulation can be easily added to either a elevated concrete floor, timber joists or a floating floor. If flooring doesn’t need to be elevated it could be necessary to dig out the floor to add the necessary insulation.