Scandi barn and modern industrial homes are hot right now. Gaining popularity from shows like The Block, magazines and social media, the styles often feature pitched cathedral ceilings, architectural shapes and a combination of dark roofs and walls wrapped in cladding or bricks.
But there’s a dark side to this modern design trend, which can cause headaches for the clients if not addressed during the build. It’s called thermal bridging.
What is thermal bridging?
Thermal bridging occurs when a connection is created between a heat-conducting external element and the interior elements of the building. Dark materials absorb more heat than lighter tones, and that heat can be transferred into the house via the framing.
This thermal bridge can have a big impact on the effectiveness of insulation – up to a 50% reduction in the case of a steel frame, and up to a 30% reduction for timber frames.
What’s the solution?
PIR Boards. A high-performance building insulation product in a slim board form, made from an advanced foam sandwiched between two layers of reflective facing. Bradford technical specialists utilised PIR Boards to provide a strong thermal barrier between dark metal cladding and framing on the iconic Scandi barn extensions in the 2017 Elsternwick season of Channel Nine’s The Block.
Paired with high-performance insulation batts such as Bradford Gold Hi-Performance, PIR Boards create the ultimate solution for home comfort.
What about the dark roofs?
If there is a roof cavity, it’s crucial to get the roof void well ventilated and let the heat out so it doesn’t transmit through the ceiling. Bradford Ventilation’s Airomatic is a perfect solution for this, a smart powered ventilator which senses heat and humidity and switches on as needed. Insulating the ceiling space well with high-performance ceiling batts such as Bradford Gold Hi-Performance is also crucial to keeping heat out of living areas.
With cathedral ceilings, consider adopting the Bradford PIR insulation board installed over the roof framing to provide the continuous thermal break, a practice that is standard in Europe and provides the ultimate in home comfort.
Take care with this hot style
If you’d like to talk about tailoring insulation solutions to your builds, speak to your Account Manager or local store. They can connect you with a Bradford representative who can give you specific advice.
