Hello everyone,
I would like to get your expert opinion on an issue I am currently discussing with the shell construction company. It concerns an obvious thermal bridge that became apparent in January (about 9 months after completion).
Problem:
In the corner near the ceiling of the bathroom on the exterior wall, mold has developed. The masonry in that area feels noticeably colder to the touch compared to other places. A thermal imaging camera was used to take a photo, which I have attached below. It clearly shows the presence of a thermal bridge.
This is a room under the roof, above which there is a shallow attic. The intermediate ceiling is insulated, and the roof is fully insulated with external insulation. The other rooms in the attic have exposed rafters, and only in the bathroom was the intermediate ceiling installed to improve ventilation. The attic has no leaks or drafts and its temperature is moderate to cool (since it is not directly heated), but not cold.
The "problem corner" is located directly under the roof on the northwest side of the house. See photos. The masonry consists of 40cm (16 inches) Ytong blocks with a few centimeters of insulating plaster on top.
The shell builder acknowledges the issue but suggests it might originate from the roof (understandably trying to shift responsibility). Fortunately, I took photos during the shell construction phase, attached here. My suspicion is that the insulation at the ring beam is not properly installed. The spot is clearly visible in the two photos. The green insulation looks different at other corners of the house, without this gray vertical gap. The builder claims the gap is not continuous but is just the groove of the insulation panels interlocked there, which is normal.
By the way, the bathroom was properly ventilated, morning and evening along with the rest of the house, and after every shower. I have a hygrometer in the room, and the humidity levels stay between 45% and a maximum of 65%.
I don’t have enough knowledge in this area, so my question is: Does anyone have an idea of what else could cause this and what the most likely reason is?
Thank you in advance!!
I would like to get your expert opinion on an issue I am currently discussing with the shell construction company. It concerns an obvious thermal bridge that became apparent in January (about 9 months after completion).
Problem:
In the corner near the ceiling of the bathroom on the exterior wall, mold has developed. The masonry in that area feels noticeably colder to the touch compared to other places. A thermal imaging camera was used to take a photo, which I have attached below. It clearly shows the presence of a thermal bridge.
This is a room under the roof, above which there is a shallow attic. The intermediate ceiling is insulated, and the roof is fully insulated with external insulation. The other rooms in the attic have exposed rafters, and only in the bathroom was the intermediate ceiling installed to improve ventilation. The attic has no leaks or drafts and its temperature is moderate to cool (since it is not directly heated), but not cold.
The "problem corner" is located directly under the roof on the northwest side of the house. See photos. The masonry consists of 40cm (16 inches) Ytong blocks with a few centimeters of insulating plaster on top.
The shell builder acknowledges the issue but suggests it might originate from the roof (understandably trying to shift responsibility). Fortunately, I took photos during the shell construction phase, attached here. My suspicion is that the insulation at the ring beam is not properly installed. The spot is clearly visible in the two photos. The green insulation looks different at other corners of the house, without this gray vertical gap. The builder claims the gap is not continuous but is just the groove of the insulation panels interlocked there, which is normal.
By the way, the bathroom was properly ventilated, morning and evening along with the rest of the house, and after every shower. I have a hygrometer in the room, and the humidity levels stay between 45% and a maximum of 65%.
I don’t have enough knowledge in this area, so my question is: Does anyone have an idea of what else could cause this and what the most likely reason is?
Thank you in advance!!
sub-xero schrieb:
What do you mean, too low? You can’t raise it, otherwise the house would get taller. I said "relatively" too low. You could also lower the ceiling, but even then the ring beam would be out of place.
sub-xero schrieb:
I don’t quite understand why the insulation for the ring beam should be installed on the inside? Because heat flows from warm to cold. Ideally, insulation on both sides would be better. But since the insulation thickness also weakens the ring beam (and your insulation on the outside seems too thin), more insulation would be better applied on the warm side of the ring beam.
sub-xero schrieb:
That’s not common practice, see also here: See where?
sub-xero schrieb:
Yes, my guess is that a gap was left, A small rebate like that will never let enough wind through to cause that problem.
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