Commercial & Industrial — Thermal Bridge Remediation
Thermal Bridge Remediation Ireland
Spray-applied natural cork thermal break coating for concrete columns, beams, steelwork and junctions. By treating the localised cold spot directly, an appropriate VIPEQ thermal coating can improve internal surface temperature and reduce the condensation caused by thermal bridging.
What Is a Thermal Bridge?
A thermal bridge — sometimes called a cold bridge — is a localised area in a building envelope where heat flows more easily than through the surrounding structure. Concrete columns, floor-to-wall junctions, steel beams, lintels and roof-to-wall connections are all common thermal bridges.
Because these elements cool more rapidly than the insulated areas around them, their internal surface temperature drops below the dew point of the surrounding air. Moisture then condenses onto these cold spots, producing localised damp, mould and pattern staining — even in buildings that are otherwise well insulated.
Rigid insulation boards are often impractical for thermal bridge remediation: they are hard to form around columns, beams and complex junctions, and they consume valuable internal space. A spray-applied natural cork thermal break coating can be applied directly to the bridging element, improving its surface temperature without significant space loss.
The Key Principle
Thermal bridging is a localised surface-temperature problem. Treating the bridge directly — rather than over-insulating the whole wall — lifts the surface temperature of the cold element and reduces the condensation and mould that form on it.
Surface Temperature, Dew Point & Condensation
Condensation forms when warm, moisture-laden air meets a surface whose temperature has fallen below the dew point. By improving the thermal behaviour of a cold surface, an appropriate thermal coating can help raise the internal surface temperature and reduce the conditions that lead to surface condensation.
Humidity
Surface Temp
Dew Point
Key Benefits
Common Thermal Bridge Locations
Concrete Columns
Exposed concrete columns act as strong thermal bridges, cooling rapidly and producing vertical damp streaks and mould on their internal face.
Concrete Beams & Lintels
Floor beams, ring beams and lintels create linear cold bridges that condense moisture along their length, particularly at ceiling and opening head heights.
Floor-to-Wall Junctions
The junction between floor slab and external wall is a classic thermal bridge, often producing a damp band at skirting level.
Window Surrounds & Reveals
Window reveals and frames are thin sections with poor thermal performance, leading to condensation, mould and rot around openings.
Steelwork
Structural steel beams and columns exposed to internal air conduct heat rapidly, creating sharp localised cold spots and condensation.
Roof / Wall & Masonry Junctions
Junctions between different construction elements — roof to wall, masonry to steel — interrupt the insulation layer and form thermal bridges.
A Natural Cork Thermal Coating — Not a Paint
VIPEQ's cork-enhanced thermal coating systems are spray- or trowel-applied directly to the substrate, forming a thin, flexible, vapour-permeable thermal layer that conforms to irregular surfaces — steel, concrete, masonry and timber — without rigid boards, battens or significant loss of internal space.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Solutions
Not sure which system applies?
Send us photographs, drawings or details of the substrate and application and we can assess whether a VIPEQ system is suitable — free, no obligation.
Have a Condensation, Cold-Surface or Thermal-Bridging Problem?
Send us photographs, drawings or details of the substrate and application and we can assess whether a VIPEQ system is suitable for your project.