Understanding Thermal Bridging — And Why It Matters for Winter Comfort

Joey Feliciano
21 hours ago
3 min read

When winter arrives in Minnesota, our homes face some of the harshest temperature swings in the country. Snow loads, freezing winds, and subzero nights test every part of a home’s structure — especially the building envelope.

At Performance By Design, we teach homeowners, builders, and future homebuyers that real energy efficiency comes from understanding how your home handles heat, air, and moisture. That’s the foundation of Housing 2.0 and the core of smarter modern construction.

One of the most important — yet often overlooked — factors in your home’s winter performance is something called thermal bridging.

What Is Thermal Bridging?

Thermal bridging happens when heat flows through a more conductive material inside your home’s structure — typically wood or metal framing components.

In simple terms:

Thermal bridging is a pathway for heat to escape your home during winter.

These “bridges” interrupt the insulation layer and create weak spots in your building envelope. They show up most commonly:

At wall studs
Around windows and doors
At roof-to-wall connections
At corners
Anywhere framing breaks up insulation

What You Might Notice:

Certain walls feel cold
Rooms vary in temperature
Your heating system runs longer
Energy bills climb
Condensation or frost appears in certain spots

Traditional stick framing can have thermal bridging in 20–25% of the wall surface — which means a quarter of the wall is actively leaking heat.

How High-Performance Building Envelopes Solve This

Housing 2.0 focuses on continuous insulation, airtightness, moisture management, and durability. When you improve the building envelope:

Heat loss is reduced
Indoor comfort becomes consistent
Energy bills stabilize
Ice dams become less likely
Overall durability increases

The best way to dramatically reduce thermal bridging?

Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs).

Why SIP Construction Minimizes Thermal Bridging

SIPs combine insulation and structure in one panel. Instead of hundreds of studs breaking up the insulation every 16 inches, SIPs create a continuous thermal layer with far fewer interruptions.

This leads to:

Stronger winter performance
Enhanced airtightness
Fewer drafts
Lower energy consumption
Better moisture control
A quieter, more comfortable home

For Minnesota — where temperatures can swing from -30°F to 95°F within months — this continuity matters.

A Note on Climate Zones: Why Zone 6 Matters

Minnesota falls into Climate Zone 6 (cold climate).

Zone 6 requires:

Higher insulation values
Better air sealing
Stronger moisture protection
Smarter envelope strategies

Thermal bridging becomes especially problematic in colder climate zones because the temperature difference between indoors and outdoors is extreme. SIPs excel in these regions because they significantly reduce weak points in the envelope.

How Blower Door Testing Connects to Thermal Bridging

While blower door testing doesn’t directly measure thermal bridging, it helps identify air leakage paths and envelope weaknesses often found near thermally bridged areas.

At Performance By Design, we use blower door testing as part of our quality assurance process to:

Confirm airtightness
Locate drafts
Identify envelope deficiencies
Ensure the home performs as designed

It’s one more tool that helps us deliver comfortable, efficient homes that work with Minnesota winters, not against them.

The Bottom Line

Thermal bridging is one of the most common — and most misunderstood — causes of winter discomfort and energy loss. But with better building envelopes, SIP construction, and smart building science, you can dramatically increase your home’s performance.

As winter settles in, remember:

Your home should protect you from the cold, not let it sneak in.

COMING IN JANUARY:

Our Build Smart Home Builders Series returns mid-month with deeper insights on: