What Is Thermal Bridging?

One of the main takeaways for building a high performance home is the focus on the building envelope. A building envelope is simply the walls, windows, and doors that separate the interior of your home from the outside elements. Think of it like your skin and how that protects you everyday.

When deciding on what the best building envelope is for your home needs, you'll hear a lot about "thermal bridging".

What is Thermal Bridging?

Thermal bridging occurs when a material that conducts heat creates a direct path for heat to move through the building envelope, bypassing your insulation. This is where your home "leaks heat" through the structure itself.

Common thermal bridges include:

• Wood studs in your walls

• Steel beams or fasteners

• Concrete slabs and foundations

• Rim joists

• Window and door frames

• Balcony slabs or cantilevers

Even though these materials are essential for structural integrity, they conduct heat far better than insulation. The result? Heat flows right through them, increasing energy loss in winter and heat gain in summer.

Why Does This Matter?

Because it's everywhere and has largely been ignored by residential and commercial builders. In the 1970's around the time of the OPEC Oil Embargo that was the first time "energy efficiency" was breathed into existence. Fifteen years ago when electricity was abundant and cheap, homes were getting thrown up with drafty envelopes, oversized mechanical systems, and moisture and mold vulnerabilities - and it led to thermal bridging accounting for 20-30% of total heat loss in a typical code built home.

Why Should You Address Thermal Bridging In Your Current Or Future Home?

• Decreased electric and gas bills, because your home demands less from your mechanical systems and won't waste energy

• Overtime, this will increase your home's value as the building code catches up

• Protect durability

• Increased comfort

You can insulate heavily and still lose massive amounts of energy if heat is allowed to bypass that insulation through structural elements. High performance homes recognize this and treat thermal control as a continuous system, not a collection of parts.

Insulation matters - but HOW everything connects matters just as much.