Thermal bridge

Thermal bridges, once referred to as cold bridges, are areas of a building where heat escapes to the outside more quickly than at adjacent building components. This can be material-related, when materials with a higher thermal conductivity such as metals are installed. A thermal bridge can also be structural, for example due to components that penetrate the insulation such as steel beams, roller shutter boxes or concrete floor slabs that are not insulated. Or the thermal bridge arises geometrically, that is at building corners, dormers or bay windows, where the external wall surface is larger than the internal wall surface. Thermal bridges are bad for the energy balance and can lead to condensation on the inside, because the affected components have a lower temperature internally than their surroundings. The persistent moisture can then lead to mould growth.