A thermal bridge is a local path where heat bypasses the main insulation.
In short: inspect panel joints, door frames, service penetrations and floor-to-wall details.
Condensation can also reflect high humidity or air leakage. Do not cover a wet detail with sealant before finding the cause. Freezer floors need a separate ground-frost assessment.
The four bridges and how to beat them
Most preventable heat gain happens at thermal bridges. On a well-built room these are small; on a poorly detailed one they dominate the bill and cause condensation, ice, and mould.
| Thermal bridge | Why it leaks | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| Panel joints | The cam-lock cam, pins, and gasket zone have a lower R-value than the continuous foam core. | Continuous gasket compressed under cam-lock tension; tongue-and-groove that closes the foam gap. |
| Door frames | Metal frames conduct heat skin-to-skin; on freezers the frame can drop below 0 °C and ice up. | Thermal-break frames; heated frames / door heaters on freezer doors to hold the frame above the dew/frost point. |
| Penetrations | Every hole for cables, drains, or pipes breaches the insulation envelope. | Sealed, insulated sleeves; group services; foam-fill and seal after install. |
| Floor / wall junctions | Where panels meet the existing building slab, frost can creep and heat can short-circuit. | Insulated floor or qualified slab; perimeter sealing; for freezers, sub-floor heating against frost heave. |
Why the cam-lock joint matters most
A correctly engineered cam-lock joint minimises bridging precisely because the eccentric cams pull the panels together under high tension. That compresses the gasket into an airtight seal and closes the foam-to-foam gap, so the joint approaches the core's own performance rather than acting as a weak line.
Loose or under-tensioned joints are a common — and entirely avoidable — source of running-cost waste. For how the joint is built and tensioned, see What is a cam-lock cold room?.
Related articles
- How insulation keeps a cold room cold
- R-value and U-value explained
- What is a cam-lock cold room?
- Door types & specifications
- Panel specifications
- Energy efficiency
Detailing advice above is generic engineering best practice; project-specific cam-lock and door specifications for the MTH Algor system are available on request — contact [email protected].
