What Is a Thermal Bridge — and How Do You Eliminate It?

Where bridges occur

The structural penetrations (the steel beams, the concrete slabs — the balconies' classic; the parapets), the framing (the wood studs — the 25% framing factor; the steel studs — the far worse), the windows (the frames — the aluminum without the thermal break; the installation — the perimeter gaps), and the foundations (the slab edges — the ground's cold; the basement walls' tops).

Consequences

Energy (the bridge's heat loss — the effective R-value degraded; the modeling — the THERM analysis quantifying), moisture (the cold interior surfaces — the condensation; the mold — the health and the durability), and comfort (the cold spots — the radiant asymmetry; the occupant's complaint). The infrared (the thermal image — the bridges glowing; the diagnostic).

Elimination strategies

Continuous insulation (the exterior — the uninterrupted layer; the cladding attachments — the low-conductivity), the structural thermal breaks (the manufactured — the balcony and the beam connections; the stainless or the FRP), the detailing (the window installation — the in the insulation plane; the air barrier's continuity), and the verification (the THERM modeling — the psi-values; the blower-door — the airtightness; the infrared — the as-built). The passive-house's thermal-bridge-free (the certification's requirement — the discipline codified).

The bottom line

Thermal bridges (structural penetrations, framing, window perimeters) leak heat and condense moisture — eliminate with continuous insulation, structural thermal breaks, and THERM-verified detailing.

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