Insulation

Garage conversions usually need extra insulation as the garage space will be altered to a habitable room, and consequently needs to adhere to building regulations for insulation in this type of space. These regulations set a U-value for insulation, which measures 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 three of the areas, but additional insulation can be added to exceed these values and improve energy efficiency. Wall insulation for garage conversions is typically performed 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 be installed around doors and windows as these areas can leak heat especially severely. Roofs for garage conversions will additionally require insulation. Pitched roofs will require insulation to the same level as the rest of your house. Flat roofs also require insulation. This can be performed by using 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 installed above the roof joists. Floor insulation is also needed in garage conversions. This is easier if the floor level of the garage requires elevating in order to meet the rest of the home as another layer of insulation can be easily added to either a raised concrete floor, timber joists or a floating floor. If flooring does not need to be raised it may be necessary to dig out the floor to add the required insulation.