Insulation

Garage conversions frequently necessitate extra 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 room. These regulations specify a U-value for insulation, which gauges the rate of heat loss. These are set differently for walls, floors, and roofs. To adhere to building regulations the garage conversion must meet the U-values in all three 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 employing 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 doors and windows 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 your house. Flat roofs additionally require insulation. This can be performed 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 required in garage conversions. This is easier if the floor level of the garage requires lifting in order to meet the rest of the home as an extra layer of insulation can be easily added to either a lifted 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 necessary insulation.