Thermal Shorts Prevention Agawam MA

Source: MASONRY CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE
Publication date: February 1, 2005

When angles are suspended from the structure above with triangular brackets in brick veneer over steel stud backup walls, is there any efficient way to prevent the thermal short that typically occurs where the steel angle attaches to the bracket? These brackets typically disrupt the batt insulation within the wall cavity above the windows, which creates cold spots where condensation can form.

Angle brackets such as these can form a significant thermal bridge from the exterior to the interior. Depending on the interior climate conditions, these thermal bridges can create condensation problems in many areas, especially in the northern portions of the United States.

One way to reduce this thermal bridge is to insulate the cavity space instead of the stud space. In this design, all the insulation is placed in the cavity and no insulation is put within the stud space. Although this approach does not completely eliminate the thermal transfer of the shelf angle, it greatly reduces the problem.

Thermal transfer is further reduced by using plastic shims between the angle and the bracket in a bolted assembly. The heads of the windows below these angles also should be insulated to isolate them from the cold angle.

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