Freezing garage conversion

[rara67]

We moved here over 12 years ago and the garage had been converted to a bedroom but all the previous owners seem to have done is plaster the walls and put some carpet down. We replaced the radiator however, we have never been able to keep it warm, partly because of the radiator not working but also because of the single skinned outside wall. Has anyone done a successful and warm conversion? I am desperate to get this room warm as we need it for a playroom as DS1 takes over lounge with TV, Wii etc.

Lose some space and have an extra layer of brick and insulation on the exterior walls? Underfloor heating?

Get it drylined - ie wooden battens attached to the wall and plasterboard fixed to that. Check what you can do to insulate the floor and ceiling too

If you do the drylining thing, you can put a load of lagging behind the plasterboard too.

hi my dh is a loft conversion speacialist and his also done a number of garage conversions. Are you wanting the conversion done so it meets all planning/building regulations so it can then legally be classed as a livable bedroom?

it is definitely all in the insulation. we had our garage converted in 2006 and the building regs were so strict re insulation that we nearly fell off our chair. but it was soooo toasty in there that we hardly neeeded any heat at all. get it better insulated. cavity wall insulation> def something for the ceiling.

10cm Celotex all around, you'll lose some space but end up nice and toasty.

Thank you all that's very helpful. We do need to do more than put in another radiator so i will look into the options you have suggested. I dont know what to do about building regs as the work was done before we moved here in 1998. I think the plans for it along with a flat roof extension behind it (now study and linked to the lounge) were in the conveyancing paperwork so will dig those out when I get 5 mins. I imagine it was all a bit dodgey, along with everything else the previous owners did, but that's another thread....

I'm with Rollmops on the 10cm celotex, ours has recently been done with it and keeps nice and toasty once warmed up with calorgas heater (isn't attached so can't have radiator).