Insulation

Garage conversions often require additional insulation as the garage space will be changed into a habitable room, and consequently has to comply with building regulations for insulation in this kind of space. These regulations set a U-value for insulation, which gauges 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 of these areas, but additional insulation can be added to surpass these values and increase energy efficiency. Wall insulation for garage conversions is typically accomplished by making use of 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 badly. Roofs for garage conversions will also require insulation. Pitched roofs will demand insulation to the same standard as the rest of your home. Flat roofs also require insulation. This can be achieved utilizing 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 lifting in order to meet the rest of the house as an additional layer of insulation can be easily put into either a lifted concrete floor, timber joists or a floating floor. If the floor does not need to be raised it could be necessary to dig out the floor to add the required insulation.