Condensation causes and solutions: How to stop condensation on windows, according to experts

Condensation on Windows – Causes & Solutions

Lake Washington Windows

Window condensation is a common occurrence in many homes year-round. It is the natural process that occurs when warm air meets a cold surface such as window glass, and vice versa, releasing the moisture in the air as it is cooled to dew point temperature. While periodic condensation build-up isn’t harmful, frequent condensation can be an indication that your home’s humidity levels are too high or that a window seal has failed and requires replacement.

If left unattended, the excessive moisture produced by frequent window condensation can lead to rotting wood, mold, bacterial growth, insects such as termites, and higher energy costs. If you’ve noticed persistent window condensation in your home, call Lake Washington Windows and Doors to schedule a free in-home consultation. Our experts will be happy to advise you on the best way to keep your home safe and energy-efficient!

Is condensation on windows bad?

Condensation on windows can be both harmless and can cause problems. The answer to whether window condensation is causing any harm depends on the frequency and location where the condensation occurs. There are three parts of any window where condensation can accumulate including the outer window pane, inside pane, or between the two panes.

Exterior window condensation

Condensation that accumulates on the outside of your windows is not harmful and is actually a sign that your home is quite energy efficient.

Why am I getting condensation on the outside of my windows?

Exterior condensation occurs most frequently during summertime when outside temperatures are higher than the indoor air conditioning. As the warmer air outside touches the cold exterior surface temperature of the air-conditioned glass, the moisture in the air reaches its dew point, and condensation forms.

How can you prevent exterior window condensation?

If the condensation is outside the window, raising the temperature of your interior air conditioner will lower the temperature of the cold glass to match the outside temperature will make a huge difference. Another thing you can do is trim shrubbery away from house windows and doors. Plants produce a significant amount of condensation especially in the early morning and evening.

Interior window condensation

Condensation on the inside of your windows is also a sign of efficiency which commonly occurs during winter when outside temperatures are lower than the heated interior. However, frequent condensation can also indicate high humidity levels within your home that may need to be lowered. Moist air increases the likelihood of mold and the excess moisture caused by persistent condensation acts as still water where mold, bacteria, and pests can flourish. As that moisture builds, it can also cause the building materials of the window frame to rot.

Why am I getting condensation on the inside of my windows?

The natural reason for condensation forming on the innermost surface occurs as the interior temperature becomes higher than the outside temperature which is most common during winter. However, if interior condensation persists throughout the year, the likely cause is high humidity levels within the home due to poor ventilation.

How can you prevent condensation on interior windows?

If condensation accumulates on the interior panes, reducing your home’s humidity and increasing air circulation should solve the problem. You may consider installing a relative humidity meter which measures the relative humidity level in the air. Reducing excess humidity can be accomplished by installing portable or whole-home dehumidifiers and keeping your home heating system at a low constant temperature.

To increase air circulation, run kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans (especially at night), keep windows and interior doors open, and avoid draft-proofing kitchen and bathroom windows. Lagging cold pipes will also reduce surface condensation and improve a home’s insulation. Additionally, there are many other methods to reduce window condensation that can be implemented.

Condensation between window panes

Condensation between panes is usually a sign of a failed window seal that requires replacement. When a window seal fails, the insulating argon gas between the panes leaks out allowing moisture to enter. This reduces the efficiency of the window and the accumulation of moisture can lead to mold, bacteria, insects, and rot.

Why am I getting condensation between my window panes?

When the condensation accumulates between the panes, the primary cause is a failed window seal allowing moisture to seep through as the insulating argon gas leaks out, reducing the window’s efficiency.

How can you prevent condensation between window panes?

If the condensation forms between the inner and outer panes, the window will require professional attention. While there’s a possibility that the problem may be fixed without replacing the window, it’s most likely that replacement windows will be the most effective solution.

How do you stop condensation on windows overnight?

To prevent overnight condensation, there are some easy steps that can be taken.

Opening windows at night will allow humid air to circulate while bringing cool fresh air inside.
Keeping window curtains open will improve circulation and minimize condensation.
If this is an issue due to outside lights, purchasing thinner curtains and keeping windows open will help.
Leaving the bathroom fan, kitchen exhaust fan, and ceiling fans on overnight will help ensure your home is properly ventilated to reduce condensation build-up.

House Condensation Problems – Common Cause and Solution

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Wondering how to stop house condensation problem on your windows? We explain what’s causing this problem and what you can do about it.

Surface condensation is the result of moisture from the air coming into contact with a cooler surface. Occasional beads of moisture on your windows usually aren’t a problem. If, however, windows are frequently weeping and stay that way for a length of time, you probably have a condensation issue.

Condensation, arguably the most common form of dampness, can eventually lead to the growth of mould. It forms on internal surfaces when the temperature drops sufficiently below the temperature of moist air inside the property. If it is left to develop, house condensation problem can aggravate or trigger health problems such as asthma and other respiratory complaints.

House Condensation Problem

Condensation occurs when warm, moist air meets a cold surface such as a window, mirror or wall and causes water droplets to form. It can leave water stains, help rot to set in and cause mildew growth.

As property owners have become increasingly energy conscious, they have looked for ways to save energy in the home through insulation, draft proofing, double glazing and blocking off chimneys, all of which has increased the humidity within indoor air.

Winter is usually the time when mildew and condensation really become problems.

Three important factors cause condensation:

The level of moisture in the air
The temperature of the air in your home
The surface temperature of the windows

The more moisture there is in the air the more likely it is that you will get condensation. If condensation occurs over a prolonged period of time, other signs will start to appear such as damp patches on walls, peeling wallpaper and ultimately black mould growth. House Condensation problems will also occur under suspended timber floors and will contribute to the decay of the wooden floor.

House Condensation Solutions

Homes in many parts of Australia are prone to condensation. You don’t, however, have to put up with weeping windows and damp curtains, when often all it takes is improving the ventilation in your home.

When it comes to getting rid of condensation, as well as finding a healthy solution to improving your home environment, Homevent can offer you an efficient and effective way of controlling condensation. In fact, we’ve got your whole home covered – from super efficient extraction fans for problem areas like bathrooms, to our ventilation solutions that expel moisture and condensation. Positive pressure ventilation acts to expel damp and moisture from your home.

If you’re not sure if the issue is house condensation, rising damp, or a problem from the roof or guttering, give us a call now to find out what Homevent solutions can do for you! We’re on hand to help you solve your condensation problems!

Causes and remedies for window condensation

Plastic windows fog up, which leads to unpleasant consequences: the appearance of puddles on the windowsills, an increase in humidity in the room. High humidity provokes the development of fungi and mold. To get rid of condensation, first find out the cause of its accumulation.

There are 7 causes of fluid accumulation:

Abnormal window sill width. A window sill that is too wide blocks the flow of warm air from the batteries to the double-glazed windows. The difference between the temperature in the room and the warmness of the windows provokes condensation.
High humidity in the room. Normal indoor humidity is up to 60%. With an increase in the mark, fogging of the windows and the appearance of fungus begin. To control and adjust the moisture content, use 2 devices: a hygrometer and a desiccant.
Installation of a single-chamber double-glazed window. Designs with one chamber do not provide proper thermal insulation. To reduce heat loss, give preference to two- or three-chamber double-glazed windows.
Incorrect installation of the distance frame. In this case, moisture accumulates in the lower part of the window frame.
Incorrect glass installation. Gaps, irregularities and other problems lead to moisture accumulation. There is only one way to get rid of the problem – by reinstalling windows.
Lack of insulation. It is important not only to carry out the correct installation of windows, but also to insulate the slopes after that. Thermal insulation is carried out inside and outside.
Non-compliance with the temperature regime in the room. Condensation occurs if it is cold outside and there is no heating in the room yet. Dealing with it is easy – warm the room, and excess moisture will go away.

Condensation forms and accumulates not only in PVC double-glazed windows. The problem also applies to owners of wooden windows.

Why does moisture accumulate on wooden windows?

There are fewer reasons here, the main ones include 3:

Errors in the installation of double-glazed windows. Before installing wooden windows, a sand cushion is laid. The layer takes moisture, but its absence leads to fogging of windows.
Installing windows in a place where there are no batteries. To minimize the risk of fogging and the development of fungus in the room, windows are installed above the batteries. The heating system heats the double-glazed windows and the air penetrating through them.
Improper care or lack thereof. A rubber seal is placed between the wood frame and the double-glazed window. Without cleaning and lubrication, the seal dries up, bursts and ceases to perform insulating functions.

How to get rid of accumulated condensate?

To solve the problem, follow a few recommendations:

Remove indoor plants from the windowsill. Watering increases humidity and provokes fogging of glasses.
Replace wide window sill. If you do not want to install a narrow one, add a few sections to the radial battery.
Install a valve for convection of air masses in the room.
Insulate the walls of the house from the outside.
Ventilate the room regularly, regardless of the weather outside.

By the way, without ventilation, proper care of metal-plastic windows is impossible in principle. Unlike wood, plastic does not “breathe”. The microclimate is established only with the regular ingress of fresh air into the room. In winter, open the sash for micro-ventilation at least once a day. In summer and spring, you can leave the top open all the time if you do not turn on the air conditioner.

Installing a fan next to a window opening will help to cope with excess moisture. This will accelerate the convection of air masses and ensure normal heating of the double-glazed window.

How to deal with condensation on ordinary windows?

Fogging windows in houses, people faced even before the advent of double-glazed windows. The problem was solved by kindling wax or paraffin candles. Two or three thick candles were placed on the windowsill or nearby, lit and thus warmed up the windows.

Candles also improved air convection. True, there is a nuance here – candles provoke the appearance of carbon dioxide. Indoor plants do an excellent job of absorbing it. This method is still used in dachas and villages where it is not possible or necessary to install a double-glazed window. When kindling candles, remove curtains and curtains from the flame, constantly control the fire.

Prevention of moisture accumulation in double-glazed windows

If the problem of condensation does not bother you, it is enough to take care of the windows and it will not appear at all. Care involves several preventive actions:

Creating a stable temperature regime in the apartment, without sudden changes.
Maintaining humidity within 50-60%.
Insulation of the walls of the apartment from the outside and slopes inside the room.
Air circulation in the apartment (regular ventilation).
Replacement of old batteries with new powerful heating systems.
Eliminate sources of excess moisture.
Cleaning and lubrication of the components of wooden and PVC windows every six months.

And the main thing is the correct installation of double-glazed windows, which is recommended to be ordered in our company, because we are professionals in our field!

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how to fix, what to do, insulation of water pipes against condensation

Content:

Why condensation occurs
Condensation on the pipes in the toilet
Condensation in the bathroom on the pipes of cold water
How to install thermal insulation on your own
Elimination of condensate on the pipeline

The occurrence of condensate on the pipes of cold water supply is quite common. Both metal and plastic pipes are most covered with moisture in the summer: in order to effectively overcome this problem, it is important to understand the exact cause of its origin.

Why condensation occurs

The main reasons for cold pipe humidification are:

If we are talking about a cold water riser, then condensation will form on a permanent basis, up to the appearance of puddles on the floor. The reason may be a leak in one or more pipes in the upper neighbor’s apartment. Often the whole thing is in an unreliable toilet tank. To clarify this, it is best to choose the night time, when it is possible to hear well the fall of drops along the sewer riser. Condensation on hot water pipes usually does not occur.
When there is no exhaust ventilation. The same may be due to interruptions in her work. New buildings or dwellings with metal-plastic windows often suffer from this problem: in such cases, there may be no hood if the windows are tightly closed. To determine the difference, a simple experiment is carried out by applying a newspaper to the ventilation grill, opening and then closing the windows. If there is no exhaust ventilation, sometimes the additional fan is powerless.
If there is condensation on the plastic pipes that are included in the apartment wiring, quite often the reason lies in the breakdown of the plumbing fixture, with insufficient or completely absent exhaust.

Condensation on the pipes in the toilet

Condensation on the cold water pipes in the toilet can occur due to high humidity or temperature fluctuations. If this problem is detected, ventilation is first checked: for this, you can leave the door to the room open at night. If during this time the moisture on the pipes disappears, then it’s all about poor ventilation. Another potential cause is the constant flow of water through the tank.

This leads to the effect of cooling the pipe, since there is no time left for heating the water inside it. As a result, the surface of the pipe becomes a comfortable place for moisture condensation. Usually, after repairing the taps and the inlet valve, the problem disappears.

Bathroom condensate on cold water pipes

Before starting repair measures, it is important to determine exactly the cause of the problem, which usually consists of the following:

When the riser pipe gets wet, it’s usually a matter of leaking from the upstairs neighbors.
If a pipe near a plumbing fixture gets wet, then the reason lies in a faulty faucet.
If ventilation problems are found, work will need to be done to eliminate blockages blocking the hood.

If condensation appears in the bathroom on the pipes: what to do in such cases? Listing ways to eliminate condensate, one cannot help but recall thermal insulation, which quite effectively helps in this problem.

In case this material is not available, it can be replaced by a simple polyurethane foam. For this, a corrugation with a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the problematic pipe is taken, and cut into separate sections, convenient for installation on communication. After putting on the corrugations, its inner space foams.

How to install thermal insulation yourself

Tip: Use our construction calculators online and you will calculate building materials or structures quickly and accurately.

Insulating cold water pipes from condensate is quite easy to do on your own.

This will require the following consumables:

Sanding paper.
Rust converter.
Strong thick thread.
Fabric strip 50-60 mm wide.
Epoxy putty.
Acetone.
Spatula.

With independent thermal insulation of pipes, it is recommended to observe the following step-by-step actions:

Sand the insulated section of the pipeline to improve its adhesive properties.
Pour some acetone onto a cloth and degrease the surface.
Use phosphoric acid for corrosion protection.
After the pipe is completely dry, a thick epoxy putty is applied to its surface (it is important that the material does not drip)
Without waiting for the substance to harden, you need to quickly wind the fabric using good tension. To fix the last turn, a prepared thick thread is used. During this procedure, it is very important that the turns of the fabric completely overlap each other, and the putty completely soaks them.
After waiting until the putty is completely dry, apply a couple more layers of thermal insulation in the same way. The final coating will be a layer of epoxy material.
When the finish is dry, the pipe can be sanded and painted.

Elimination of condensate in the pipeline

How to eliminate condensation on the cold water pipe? This problem is quite common in bathrooms, and the reason is mainly high humidity in these rooms. If the ventilation is poor and the pipes are not insulated, moisture can form both on the pipe itself and on the surface of the toilet bowl. See also: “How to remove condensate from cold water pipes – elimination of causes and consequences.”

To eliminate this unpleasant phenomenon, one of the following methods can be used:

Troubleshooting the ventilation system. Insufficient ventilation can lead not only to condensation on the pipes: it is important to remember that such conditions can provoke the formation of mold, which is very harmful to breathing and can cause many diseases. To enhance passive ventilation, an additional forced manual fan is usually used. In addition, automation can be installed, to turn on which a timer or hygrometer is used.
The reason may also lie in large temperature differences in the room and the water supply: because of this, surfaces with which cold water is in direct contact fog up. In the future, the accumulation of moisture can develop into streams flowing to the floor. In this case, good thermal insulation of the cold pipeline helps, which is easiest to do with the help of special tubular material (thermoflex, energy flex, polyethylene foam). This insulation is available in several sizes. When selecting, you need to focus on the indicator of the inner diameter, which should be equal to the diameter of the pipeline. The tube is cut along the entire length, followed by pulling on the pipe and gluing the seam. For these purposes, it is best to use a special metallized adhesive tape of a permanent type.

Basically, the listed methods will be enough to solve the problem of “condensate on water pipes – what to do?”. However, there are cases when, after carrying out all the recommended measures, a positive result could not be achieved. Usually, the cause of fogging of cold pipes in this case is poorly laid waterproofing on the floor or walls. Finishing procedures will not help here, since the humidity in the room may increase due to basement fumes, wet foundations, poorly insulated walls, which begin to become covered with frost and condensation. See also: “How to avoid condensation on the pipes in the bathroom – theory and practice.