Many buildings in New York City have Key solutions to thermal bridging include little to no insulation, or lack insulation in applying insulation to uninsulated areas to continuous insulation hard-to-reach places, such as parapets ensure a continuous thermal barrier, as well and slab edges. These uninsulated spots as installing windows and other envelope create thermal bridges — areas with high components that include thermal breaks. and thermal bridge thermal conductivity that allow heat and Thermal breaks, also known as thermal moisture to penetrate the building barriers, are elements with low conductivity envelope, causing occupant discomfort that prevent heat transfer and condensation mitigation and degrading building components. across the building envelope.

solutions to common thermal bridges

1 Balconies 2 Parapet 3 Unconditioned 4 Wall 5 Window Walls Basements Construction Transitions 2

Problem WALL INSULATION INSULATION WINDOW 58° F 34° F MASONRY TIE-BACK PARAPET 58° F

34° F 58° F 34° F

58° F INSULATION 34° F

1 BALCONY INSULATION

FLOOR FLOOR SOIL INSULATION ROOF SLAB SLAB SLAB

40° F 34° F SHELF 58° F BASEMENT ANGLE

Many balconies in New York Parapet walls, a component Many New York City Masonry and other types The transition between the City buildings are simply of the facade extending above basements are uninsulated, of wall construction using various materials that create extensions of the concrete slab the roof, are often uninsulated allowing heat to transfer metal attachments to connect thermal, moisture, and that forms the interior floor. and installed without a between the basement and to a building’s structural air barriers at the window These typically uninsulated thermal break. This can result the ground floor. elements, such as tie-backs assembly can unintentionally slabs create major thermal in unwanted heat transfer, or shelf angles, can form result in thermal bridging, bridges, allowing heat to especially in winter as heat substantial thermal bridges. especially when a window is transfer through the concrete rises through the building and moved out of plane with the 4 and undermine adjacent wall escapes through the gap in insulation. insulation. insulation.

Solution WALL INSULATION WINDOW PARAPET 34° F MASONRY 70° F TIE-BACK 70° F

70° F 34° F 34° F 5

70° F 34° F 34° F

INSULATION INSULATION

FLOOR SOIL INSULATION ROOF SLAB SLAB BALCONY

SHELF 70° F BASE- MENT ANGLE

Completely or partially Resolving this source of Applying sufficient insulation Structural thermal breaks are Keeping the thermal break wrapping the balcony slab thermal bridging generally to the basement ceiling and available to support cladding in a window frame aligned 3 in insulation mitigates this involves wrapping the walls can reduce thermal materials while ensuring with the building’s source of thermal bridging. parapet in insulation. bridging. that insulation remains wall insulation is the most uninterrupted. effective configuration to reduce thermal bridging.