Blades Building LtdBLADESBUILDING
Problems & repairs

Damp and cold in a converted garage: causes and fixes

Almost always a build-up problem, not a heating problem.

Converted garages that feel cold, smell musty or show damp patches at floor level are usually suffering from a specification shortcut rather than a lack of radiators. The causes are well understood and mostly fixable.

No damp-proof membrane in the floor

Garage slabs are often laid without a membrane tied into the wall DPC. Boarding straight over that slab traps moisture underneath and it shows up at skirting level.

Single-skin walls left unlined

One-brick walls have no cavity and no insulation. Without an insulated inner leaf and vapour control they run cold and attract condensation.

Cold bridging at the front infill

The panel where the garage door was is a frequent weak point, especially where insulation is not carried continuously through the new construction.

Ventilation

Rooms converted from garages often lose the background ventilation the garage had, without gaining trickle vents or extract in its place.

Common questions

Questions we get asked about this

Can this be corrected without starting again?

Often, yes. The floor is the most invasive element; wall lining and ventilation are usually more straightforward to put right.

Is it damp or condensation?

They present differently and are diagnosed differently. Getting the diagnosis right avoids paying for the wrong remedy.

Will more heating fix it?

Heating a poorly built-up room raises bills without resolving the underlying cause.

Do you correct other people's conversions?

Yes, remedial work on previous conversions is a regular part of what we do.

Garage room not working?

We will diagnose the cause before quoting a fix.