Insulation

Garage conversions often need extra insulation as the garage space will be changed into a habitable room, and consequently must comply with building regulations for insulation in this type of room. These regulations set a U-value for insulation, which assesses 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 installed to surpass these values and increase energy efficiency. Wall insulation for garage conversions is typically done by using 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 particularly poorly. Roofs for garage conversions will additionally require insulation. Pitched roofs need insulation to the same level as the rest of the property. Flat roofs also require insulation. This can be achieved 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 added 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 home as an additional layer of insulation can be easily added to either a lifted concrete floor, timber joists or a floating floor. If the floor doesn’t need to be raised it might be necessary to dig out the floor to add the required insulation.