E12 / E13 SAP / Approved Document L reference junction
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What the gable junction is
The gable junction is where a gable (end) wall meets the sloping roof, with insulation at ceiling level (E11) or at rafter level (E12).
Why it matters
As with the eaves, keeping insulation continuous where the gable wall meets the roof slope is awkward, and any break gives heat a route out along the line of the gable.
How to model it
Model the gable wall, the roof construction and the insulation line, ensuring the wall and roof insulation connect. Solve for the Ψ-value and f_Rsi.
Calculated gable values usually improve on the SAP default where the insulation is properly carried up to the roof.
What ΨMonkey solves this junction at
ΨMonkey's own results for its standard gable junction templates, with the external wall set to each of the assistant's eight named build-ups and everything else left at the template default. They are what the tool gives for those exact layers — not accredited values, and not your detail: a different block, a thicker board or a different lintel plate all move the number. Open any figure and the app loads that junction and wall with Ψ live; change what differs and read your own.
| Junction | Masonry, full fillU 0.18 | Masonry, partial fillU 0.28 | Timber frame, brickU 0.27 | TF brick + service voidU 0.26 | TF + 50 PIR sheathingU 0.16 | Timber frame, renderU 0.28 | Twin stud, 300 celluloseU 0.11 | CLT + EWIU 0.18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E12Gable (insulation at ceiling level) | 0.0460.940 | 0.0530.932 | 0.0240.927 | 0.0240.939 | 0.0360.944 | 0.0240.927 | 0.0270.950 | 0.0350.944 |
| E13Gable (insulation at rafter level) | 0.0360.944 | 0.0570.928 | 0.0410.906 | 0.0430.915 | 0.0480.931 | 0.0410.905 | 0.0400.936 | 0.0560.926 |
Ψ in W/(m·K), with fRsi beneath. Red is fRsi below 0.75, the BRE IP 1/06 condensation criterion for dwellings. Marked negatives on a non-inverted junction mean the template's default detail doesn't suit that wall — a prompt to model your own, not a figure to use. Click any figure to open that junction and wall in ΨMonkey with Ψ live.
The eight walls, and how these figures were produced
- Cavity masonry — full fill (accredited default)U 0.176 W/m²K100 mm Facing brick · 100 mm PIR insulation (foil-faced) · 100 mm Aerated concrete block (general) · 20 mm Plasterboard on dabs (12.5 + 15mm)
- Cavity masonry — partial fill + 50 mm clear cavityU 0.278 W/m²K100 mm Facing brick · 50 mm Air cavity (ISO 6946, ≥25mm) · 50 mm PIR insulation (foil-faced) · 100 mm Aerated concrete block (general) · 20 mm Plasterboard on dabs (12.5 + 15mm)
- Timber frame — brick clad, 140 mm studs (15% bridged)U 0.271 W/m²K100 mm Facing brick · 50 mm Air cavity (ISO 6946, ≥25mm) · 20 mm OSB/3 (18mm) · 140 mm Mineral wool (glass/rock) + 15% Structural timber · 20 mm Plasterboard on dabs (12.5 + 15mm)
- Timber frame — brick clad, 140 studs + service voidU 0.258 W/m²K100 mm Facing brick · 50 mm Air cavity (ISO 6946, ≥25mm) · 20 mm OSB/3 (18mm) · 140 mm Mineral wool (glass/rock) + 15% Structural timber · 25 mm Air cavity (ISO 6946, ≥25mm) + 9% Structural timber · 20 mm Plasterboard on dabs (12.5 + 15mm)
- Timber frame — 140 studs + 50 mm PIR over the sheathingU 0.163 W/m²K100 mm Facing brick · 50 mm Air cavity (ISO 6946, ≥25mm) · 50 mm PIR insulation (foil-faced) · 20 mm OSB/3 (18mm) · 140 mm Mineral wool (glass/rock) + 15% Structural timber · 25 mm Air cavity (ISO 6946, ≥25mm) + 9% Structural timber · 20 mm Plasterboard on dabs (12.5 + 15mm)
- Timber frame — render / rainscreen, 140 mm studsU 0.278 W/m²K20 mm External silicone render · 50 mm Air cavity (ISO 6946, ≥25mm) · 20 mm OSB/3 (18mm) · 140 mm Mineral wool (glass/rock) + 15% Structural timber · 20 mm Plasterboard on dabs (12.5 + 15mm)
- Closed panel / twin stud — 300 mm cellulose (8% bridged)U 0.112 W/m²K20 mm External silicone render · 50 mm Air cavity (ISO 6946, ≥25mm) · 60 mm Woodfibre board (Steico) · 300 mm Cellulose fibre (blown) + 8% Structural timber · 20 mm OSB/3 (18mm) · 20 mm Plasterboard on dabs (12.5 + 15mm)
- CLT + external insulation — 100 CLT, 160 woodfibreU 0.179 W/m²K20 mm External silicone render · 160 mm Woodfibre board (Steico) · 100 mm Cross-laminated timber (CLT) · 25 mm Air cavity (ISO 6946, ≥25mm) + 9% Structural timber · 20 mm Plasterboard on dabs (12.5 + 15mm)
Each figure is ΨMonkey's own result for its standard template of that junction, with the external wall set to the named build-up and every other element — floors, roofs, party walls, lintels, windows — at the template's shipped default. Boundary conditions to BS EN ISO 10211, Ti 20 °C / Te 0 °C, convergence 10⁻⁶. Solved 2 September 2026 on the app as shipped; regenerated whenever the app changes. How the solver itself is checked is on the validation page.
The full set on one page: the Ψ-value reference table.
Related build-ups: the U-values either side of this junction
The Ψ-value at the gable junction depends on the walls, floors and roof around it — so the first step is knowing the U-values of those elements. Typical figures for the build-ups that pair with this junction:
Model your exact build-up and read its U-value with the free U-Monkey calculator (PDFs included free), then come back here and solve the junction in ΨMonkey.
Free to model — no subscription
ΨMonkey isn't a monthly licence or a per-seat subscription. Build the gable junction on the grid, solve it, and read the Ψ-value and fRsi on screen for nothing. You only pay £35 +VAT (£42 inc VAT), once, when you need the Building Control-ready PDF for that junction — so calculating a single detail never means signing up to anything. Calculated psi values are often the cheapest route to a SAP 10 pass, so the maths can pay for itself.
Frequently asked questions
What is the gable junction (E12 / E13)?
The gable junction is where a gable (end) wall meets the sloping roof, with insulation at ceiling level (E11) or at rafter level (E12). As with the eaves, keeping insulation continuous where the gable wall meets the roof slope is awkward, and any break gives heat a route out along the line of the gable.
How do I calculate the gable junction psi value?
Model the gable wall, the roof construction and the insulation line, ensuring the wall and roof insulation connect. Solve for the Ψ-value and f_Rsi. ΨMonkey solves it to BS EN ISO 10211 and returns the Ψ-value (W/m·K) and the f_Rsi temperature factor on screen, free.
Is it free, and is there a subscription?
No subscription and no licence — modelling the junction and reading off the Ψ-value is free in your browser. You only pay £35 +VAT (£42 inc VAT) when you export the Building Control-ready PDF for that junction.
What psi value should I expect for the gable junction?
It depends on the wall. ΨMonkey's standard gable junction templates solve between 0.024 and 0.057 W/(m·K) across ΨMonkey's 8 standard walls, with everything else at the template defaults; on the accredited full-fill masonry wall that is E12 0.046, E13 0.036 W/(m·K). Those are the tool's own results for those exact layers, not accredited values — open the junction with your wall preset from the table on this page and change what differs.
Can I use the result in a SAP or HEM assessment?
Yes — a calculated Ψ-value to ISO 10211 can replace the SAP default for this junction, and Calculated gable values usually improve on the SAP default where the insulation is properly carried up to the roof.
Other junctions
ΨMonkey models any junction. Jump to another common one:
- Wall-to-Floor Junction E5 / E19 / E22
- Window Jamb (Reveal) E4
- Window Sill E3
- Lintel E1 / E2
- Eaves Junction E10 / E11 / E24
- External Corner E16
- Inverted Corner E17
- Intermediate Floor E6 / E7
- Party Wall Junction E18 / E25 / P1–P8
- Balcony Junction E8 / E9 / E23
- Exposed Floor E20 / E21
Related reading
- How we know ΨMonkey's numbers are right — BS EN ISO 10211 test reference results, published
- Thermal bridging explained — why junctions leak heat and how Ψ-values work
- What is a U-value? — the element-level heat loss this junction links
- SAP 10: what's new — how calculated Ψ-values beat defaults
- SAP calculations — put your Ψ-values to work in the full compliance model
- New Build Compliance Pack — SAP, water, acoustics and air in one