Do you know the difference between a thermal bridge and a thermal break? Although these terms are often mistaken for one another, they actually have opposite meanings.
Thermal bridge
A thermal bridge is a part of the construction that has a higher thermal conductivity than the materials around it. It is essentially a path of least resistance that heat can use to enter or leave the building envelope, thus decreasing the thermal resistance of the whole construction.
There are three ways heat can transfer through the building elements; conduction, convection and radiation. In the case of thermal bridging, heat is moving by conduction, and the rate at which it moves is determined by temperature difference at each end of the thermal bridge as well as the thermal conductivity of the material that makes up that bridge.
Since the heat is entering or escaping the building, it is clear that the effect of thermal bridging is a decreased thermal resistance of the building, which leads to increased energy costs and reduced occupant comfort.
Thermal break
A way to mitigate thermal bridging is to add a material with lower thermal conductivity, like insulation, between the building elements to prevent the flow of heat. This is what is known as a thermal break. An efficient thermal break that prevents thermal bridging is a continuous layer of insulation.