Cold bridging is the term used to describe an area of a buildings envelope where a product (or products) with poor insulating properties passes through the external element.

This creates a path of low thermal resistance allowing cold external temperatures to be transferred through the construction, reducing the temperature of internal surfaces. This creates a high risk of condensation forming on these cold areas.

The correct design of these areas can reduce and eliminate cold bridges and their associated problems. The evolution of UK building regulations in recent years has seen an attempted to do this by implementing minimum design criteria in areas that are most susceptible to cold bridging.

Methods of complying with these minimum requirements are catalogued in the Accredited Construction Details. Thermal Economics have provided a range of products designed to reduce thermal bridging for over 15 years. These products can achieve and exceed the minimum insulation requirements set out in the Accredited Construction Details and are ideally suited to common cold bridge areas that are not covered in the Accredited Construction Details, such as steel work in cavities, wind posts and at the edge of ground bearing slabs.