The TAC Thermal Spacer is the specified thermal bridge solution for Canadian rainscreen cladding — three clip families (steel, aluminum, glass-fibre-reinforced) that cut thermal bridging by up to 97% in exterior wall assemblies.
Cold-formed A653 CS Type-B G90, 14GA galvanized steel with slotted HDPE thermal pads.
Vertical or horizontal installation.
Adjustable thermal pad fits varied insulation thicknesses.
Tested to CAN/ULC S-134.
Stiffening ribs handle high-wind and dead-loads.
1/2" tolerance. No third-party shims.
Verified thermal and structural testing.
The TAC family covers every project condition — choose by R-value target, combustibility requirement, and substrate.
The flagship — non-combustible galvanized steel for code-driven projects.
Up to
Cast aluminum for demanding wind loads and high-performance assemblies.
Up to
Glass fibre reinforced clip — maximum thermal performance for combustible assemblies.
Up toRotate, zoom, and inspect the TAC 2.1 in real time.
Revit Family files, 3D files, CSC specifications, and component drawings available on request.
Request Revit FilesModel by Corearch Inc. on Sketchfab
Third-party tested for thermal, structural, and fire performance.
A thermal bridge is any building component that conducts heat across the insulation plane — drastically reducing the effective R-value of an otherwise well-insulated wall. In rainscreen assemblies, the cladding support sub-framing is the dominant thermal bridge. The TAC thermal spacer is engineered to interrupt that bridge.
Thermal bridging occurs wherever a conductive element — steel, aluminum, concrete — penetrates the insulation layer and creates a low-resistance path for heat flow. In a continuous-insulation rainscreen wall, conventional Z-girt and hat-channel sub-framing systems penetrate the insulation continuously, conducting heat from the interior to the exterior cladding.
The result: a wall designed for R-25 insulation may deliver an effective R-value of only R-12 to R-15, because thermal bridges short-circuit the insulation. ASHRAE 1365-RP and the BC Hydro Building Envelope Thermal Bridging Guide document this gap extensively.
A thermal spacer (also called a thermal break clip or thermal assembly clip) inserts a low-conductivity element between the structural cladding support and the substrate. The TAC system does this three ways:
TAC 2.1 Steel uses a slotted HDPE thermal pad between a galvanized steel clip and the substrate. TAC Aluminum uses a polypropylene thermal isolator between cast aluminum and the structure. TAC GFRC is itself a low-conductivity glass-fibre-reinforced polymer — the clip body is the thermal break.
Morrison Hershfield modelled the TAC system using 3D finite-element analysis calibrated to ASHRAE 1365-RP hotbox testing (validated to within ±5%). Here are the effective R-values for a 16″ × 24″ o.c. clip spacing with split-insulated steel stud assembly:
| Configuration | Nominal R | Effective R |
|---|---|---|
| TAC 2.1 Steel · 6″ depth | R-25.2 | R-23.1 |
| TAC Aluminum · 6″ depth | R-25.2 | R-22.9 |
| TAC GFRC · 6″ depth (split-insulated) | R-25.2 | R-27.7 |
A conventional galvanized Z-girt penetrating R-25 mineral wool insulation typically delivers an effective wall R-value of R-12 to R-14 — losing roughly half the nominal insulation value to thermal bridging.
The TAC thermal spacer recovers that loss. With identical R-25 insulation, the TAC system delivers up to R-27.7 effective depending on the clip variant — up to 97% thermal bridge reduction verified by third-party engineering analysis.
ETG provides spec consultation, custom detailing, and field review on every project.
Standard details, CSC specifications, and component drawings available on request.
Talk to a Specifier
TAC 2.1 installed across Canadian rainscreen projects.
Brochures, installation guides, and master specifications.
Pricing, technical support, and design assist from your Canadian distributor.
The TAC Thermal Spacer family is engineered for high-performance rainscreen cladding assemblies on commercial, institutional, and multi-residential projects across Canada. Three thermal clip variants — TAC 2.1 Steel, TAC Aluminum, and TAC GFRC (glass fibre reinforced clip) — allow architects and engineers to match the right thermal break to each project's combustibility, wind-load, and R-value requirements. As thermal spacers and cladding support clips, they support a wide range of cladding materials including metal panels, terracotta, stone, fibre cement, and composite systems. Distributed in Canada by Exterior Technologies Group, every TAC clip is backed by spec consultation, Revit Family files, CSC master specifications, and project-specific design assist.
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