To ensure your garden room stays warm and cozy during cold weather, adequate insulation is key. But how much insulation should a garden room have? This is the question I love the most because so many companies put in cheap insulation in the form of wool to save costs but although this is adequate living in Scotland it will still be chilly in the winter and you may have to use additional heating appliances.
Determine the Wall and Roof Insulation Requirements.
To work out the insulation requirements for your garden room, it is important to determine the wall and roof insulation needed. Your walls and roof will need a different R-value—a measure of thermal resistance—depending on the climate in your area. If you live in an area with mild winters and hot summers, you may need up to a higher R-value; for an area with cold winters, a lower R-value may be sufficient.
In simple terms always check the technical spec which should highlight all the materials that will be used in building the garden room. You want to ensure they are using Therma – Polyisocyanurate insulation, more commonly known as PIR insulation. The brand names are Kingspan or Celotex and its what is used in new builds or extensions. (it looks like a big block of polystyrene!) You want to make sure that this is in the floor and the walls as a minimum requirement.
The next thing you should check for insulation is that they are putting double batons between the insulation and the cladding to allow air to flow around which will stop the pod from rotting!
The final main point is to check that the windows and doors are double glazed and have a u-value of 1.4.
If we are being really pernickety you want to ask them to skim plaster NOT tape and fill and if they are building on a concrete base (which isn’t advisable but cant be helped at times) then make sure it has been insulated and water tracks are made.
Hyggepod pride ourselves by building pods that exceed Building Regulation Standards and are built as if they were an extension to your house.
If you have any questions about building a garden room please email hello@hyggepod.com, call 0141 638 4787 or visit our website @ www.hyggepod.com