How to cure condensation in a house: How to stop condensation on windows, according to experts

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How To Get Rid Of Condensation

Stopping Condensation in your Home

Condensation in the home can be a serious problem. If left untreated, it can damage wallpaper, fixtures and fittings as well as lead to serious black mould and damp issues. 

It doesn’t matter what style, shape or size your property is, you may encounter issues and need to know how to get rid of condensation. Here at Permagard, we want you to feel happy, healthy and secure in your home so we have created this guide that details how you can stop condensation.

Understanding the causes of condensation is one of the first steps to stopping it.

What causes condensation?

Condensation occurs when water vapour in the air gets released onto a colder surface. When warm, moist air comes into contact with a cold impermeable surface, it releases some of its moisture as water droplets. This is condensation.

Moisture gets into the air in our homes through everyday activities. These include cooking, washing, showering, drying clothes, even breathing. With modern insulation and double-glazing, this warm air has limited ways of escaping your property, increasing the humidity. 

What is the dew point?

There is a precise point when condensation occurs that is known as the dew point – this is reached when the air is cooled to a specific temperature at which point it releases water.

Condensation is usually a bigger issue in colder months. This is because the warm air in your home holds more moisture than cold air. The surface temperature of your windows and walls is also much lower. Together this means more moisture is deposited onto cold surfaces like windows and outside walls. 

It is common for many of us to experience condensation on our windows – jump to our section on Stopping Window Condensation to understand how to stamp it out.

Condensation on walls can make the atmosphere of your home feel unwelcoming, especially if it leads to black mould growth. The appearance of black mould is a sign you have a condensation problem or an underlying damp issues.

How to Stop Condensation Build-up

1. Practical changes to stop condensation

One way to reduce condensation is to release less moisture into the air. Some basic things you can do to reduce the amount of moisture in your home include:

  • covering pans when cooking

  • taking quicker showers

  • avoiding drying your clothes indoors, particularly on radiators

  • opening windows, in particular at opposite sides of the house to allow for cross ventilation  

  • always using an extractor fan (if you have one) when cooking  

2. Ventilate your Home

Making sure your home is well ventilated is one of the most important steps you can take to reduce condensation. You want to get rid of moist air and replace it with fresh air. Here are some of the ventilation options for reducing condensation:

Natural Passive Ventilation

Opening windows or window trickle vents allows moist air to move out of the building, lowering the chance of condensation occurring. However, it’s not always practical and is often not sufficient to deal with problem condensation.

Passive ventilation uses natural forces to encourage airflow through your property. These vents contain no moving parts, making them very affordable and easy to maintain. Our Perma-vent is less than £20 excluding VAT. They are easy and quick to install yourself, and will get to work right away in problem areas.

Click the link for more on how to ventilate your house.

Heat recovery ventilation systems

Heat Recovery ventilation systems work by replacing the moist air in your home with filtered, fresh air from outside. They include a heat exchange unit. This unit captures the heat from the warm air in your home as it leaves and uses it to warm the incoming fresh air. This significantly reduces the amount of heat wasted and reduces your energy bills.

The Vent-Axia Heat Save ventilation units are highly effective at capturing heat and ventilating problem rooms in your home.

The Kair Heat Recovery Ventilation Unit recovers up to 86% of heat. This makes it a highly effective solution to condensation in a single problem room. Click for an overview of what’s involved in the installation of Kair unit. 

Install a PIV System

Positive input ventilation or PIV systems work by continuously replacing the moist air in your home with fresh, filtered air from outside. They are usually installed in your loft and will provide whole house ventilation. Condensation in your home should be eradicated. 

PIV units such as the Nuaire Drimaster Eco PIV system provide whole house ventilation, introducing fresh filtered air continuously into your home. This dilutes and displaces damp stale air, reducing the causes of condensation and improving the air quality in the property. 

Permagard stock Monsoon Positive Pressure Ventilation systems that offer PPV for house with lofts and ventilation units for flats without a loft space. Both heat the incoming fresh air.  The Nuaire Drimaster Eco PIV system is a highly effective and energy efficient version that gets rid of condensation and improves air quality in your home.

You can read about how to effectively ventilate your house in much more detail in our how to guide. 

2. Install Humidistat Extractor Fans

Installing an humidistat extractor fan in areas where you are creating high levels of moisture such as the kitchen and bathroom is a good way of tackling condensation at source. When you are boiling pans or showering, for example, the humidistat-controlled extractor fan will turn itself on, extracting moist, humid air until a low level of moisture in the air is achieved. With intelligent humidity control and quiet, efficient performance these units are a good option.

3. Maintain a Constant Temperature

When it comes to stopping condensation, there is one method that is often overlooked – temperature.

When you heat your home, you warm the air which means it can hold a greater amount of moisture. When warm air in the room dramatically cools at night, the cooler air cannot hold the same volume of moisture so it is deposited as condensation on cold surfaces like windows and external walls.

By maintaining a consistent temperature in your home, you limit the rapid warming and cooling of air which can result in condensation. It’s also important to heat all rooms in your home, even if they are not in regular use. If a room is left unheated, then warm, moist air is more likely to condense in that space, leading to issues.   

4. Move your Furniture

If furniture stays close to cold surfaces for too long, it prevents air movement in and around that piece of furniture. This can lead to a build up of condensation and in turn lead to mould growth. Refresh your rooms every so often by changing the arrangement of the furniture. Ensure that sofas and tables, for example, are positioned away from walls to allow freer air movement in and around the furniture, helping prevent condensation and mould.  

5. Replace Your Insulation

When looking to control condensation in your home, it might be worth looking into your insulation. It can help reduce the amount of heat lost from a property and will keep internal temperatures high without the need for artificial heating. Insulation is improving all the time, so it might be worth investing in some new insulation.  

As you can see, there are many different ways to tackle condensation. How you stop condensation largely depends on your home, budget and the time you have available. It’s important to take some measures as left untouched, you will find an increase in damp-related issues around the home, mould growith and general damage to décor. Condensation and mould can make asthma and respiratory illnesses worse as well as lead to other health issues.  

How to Stop Window Condensation

Do you wake up in the morning to find your bedroom windows streaming with condensation? Pools of water on your window sills and black mould around the frames?

Condensation on windows is an all too common problem when it really doesn’t need to be. The good news is that stopping condensation on windows is easier than you might think. In this article, we provide details on what causes condensation on windows and give you some options for preventing it.

Window condensation

Window condensation is a common issue in the UK. At Permagard, we receive hundreds of calls from people wanting to know how to stop condensation on their windows in winter. There are several causes of condensation on the inside of your windows. First, we must look at what exactly window condensation is and why it occurs.  

What causes condensation on windows?

Windows are cold impermeable surfaces. This means that when warm, moist air comes into contact with them it releases some of this moisture onto the glass as water droplets. 

Why window condensation is an issue? 

It’s not much fun wiping down your windows each morning to get rid of the condensation but there are actually more serious issues. Window condensation can lead to black mould. This represents a health risk. If you’re getting window condensation, then there’s a chance that you’ll also be getting condensation in other areas of your home which can lead to further instances of black mould.

Stopping condensation on windows

To stop condensation on windows, you have several options as we’ve outlined above. These range from small practical changes you can make today to installing a passive vent or a whole house ventilation system. 

How to stop condensation on bedroom windows

Bedroom windows can be prone to condensation because this is the room that you usually keep warm at night. You will also create additional moisture in the air from breathing. 

Many people are nervous about installing bedroom ventilation because of concerns over noise, draughts and being kept awake. There are various options from a whole house sytems that is highly effective at removing moist air from your home to near silent single room options.  

If you have condensation problems in your bathroom then read our guide to avoiding condensation and treating mould in your bathroom.

Window Trickle Vents and Condensation

Many modern double glazed window units feature trickle vents. These vents are located at the top of the window as part of the frame and allow air from outside to enter into your home at a low rate. They represent a form of background ventilation that works on the passive ventilation principle. Trickle vents won’t completely solve the issue but will help with ventilation and in turn reduce window condensation.

It’s important to note that trickle vents cannot be retrofitted so if your doubled glazed windows don’t feature them then you’d need to get new ones installed. You’ll also need to consider other forms of ventilation to work alongside them.

Ventilation Systems for window condensation

The best option for getting rid of condensation permanently is installing a ventilation system in your home. Jump back up to our section on ventilation options.

Dehumidifiers for window consensation 

Dehumidifiers can be effective at removing moisture from the air in single rooms but they aren’t necessarily a long term or energy efficient solution to window condensation. Even the low volume units may be too loud to have on during the night in problem rooms. 

 

Condensation Treatments from Permagard

As well as following all of the above tips, you can buy a number of products and ventilation units from Permagard that will help reduce condensation and remove mould. Browse our Ventilation and Condensation Control and damp proofing sections of our site for more details on how to tackle condensation. Remember you can also get rid of any black mould using our mould wash. 

Permagard – Over 30 Years’ Experience in Condensation Control

You should now have a good idea of the best ventilation methods to stop window condensation. You can continue to browse our full range of condensation control products. If you would like more information on stopping condensation and tackling damp issues please contact us at Permagard today.  

The NHS has a page on the health impact of condensation and mould that is a useful .

Further Reading 

How to remove mould from your walls

How to keep your house warm in winter

 

How to stop condensation in the home

As the cold winter months set in, we are less inclined to ventilate our homes and are tempted to seal in the heat, resulting in a rise in humidity levels due to lack of ventilation. This causes condensation: liquid water that collects on walls, windows and ceilings. Kitchens and bathrooms are especially vulnerable to excess condensation, which can lead to damp problems and black mould growth. Read on to find out how to stop condensation in the home.

Short on time? Try 5 Lifestyle Changes to Stop Condensation and Condensation in the home – 4 Reasons to Reduce it.

 

Learn About:

  • What is condensation?
  • Condensation and the problems it creates
  • Causes of condensation
  • How to stop condensation
  • Remedying condensation damage
  • Condensation in buildings CPD webinar

What is condensation?

Condensation is the process that induces water vapour in the air to turn into liquid. A disparity in temperature change causes condensation, which is why it is more prevalent in winter.
If humidity is high enough, the accumulated moisture in the air is deposited on cold impenetrable surfaces. This can cause condensation on the outside and inside of windows. Condensation can also form inside double-glazing, although that is usually caused by a failure of the seal between the two window panes. Condensation can also affect penetrable surfaces, such as wallpaper and plaster.
The perfect conditions for condensation to manifest are:

  • warm rising air
  • falling temperatures
  • cool surfaces

Warm air holds more moisture than cold air and when it rises, so do the suspended water molecules that are contained. As temperatures fall, the air can no longer hold all of its moisture, so it will find surrounding cool surfaces to transfer this moisture onto.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How do I stop condensation in my house?

    1. Ensure furniture allows room for airflow.

    2. Maintain a consistent temperature in the home.

    3. Ventilate, especially in rooms where moisture-generating activities like cooking and bathing occur.

  • What causes condensation?

    When hot air meets a cool surface, condensation forms. Excess condensation is more common in winter when we heat our homes to fight the cold weather & accidentally cause condensation problems.

  • How do I stop condensation in my bedroom?

    The atmospheric temperature must always be consistent to stop condensation. Make sure warm air ventilates out of the home and walls and surfaces are not too cold. Try keeping the heat at a low consistent temperature and avoid drying clothes inside.

  • Should I wipe condensation from windows?

    Yes! In condensation management, removing moisture is always important. Wiping condensation from windows removes excess moisture and helps to warm windows. Try to wipe condensation from windows early in the morning to remove excess moisture for the rest of the day.

Condensation and the problems it creates

Problems with condensation commonly arise due to the high moisture content in the air providing an ideal environment for mould growth. Once the water molecules are deposited on cool surfaces, this can lead to two main issues: deterioration of the surface where the moisture has condensed such as porous plasterboards, and the growth of black mould and fungi.
Unchecked condensation results in blackened window frames, damp patches and mould growth on walls. Other signs of condensation problems in houses are mould growth on clothing and soft furnishings, as well as streaming from condensation on windows.

 

Different condensation types

  • Interstitial condensation

    Moisture from the air that absorbs into a porous substrate like soft furnishings or internal wall insulation.

  • Surface condensation

    When internal hot air meets a cold surface. This is what most people are referring to when we talk about household condensation.

  • Warm-front condensation

    When warm air enters a cold building. Warm-front condensation is common in emptier buildings during the seasonal change from winter to spring.

  • Summer condensation (also called reverse condensation)

    Very rare in the UK. During a monsoon or ordinary rain shower in otherwise warm conditions, warmth from the sun can dry a wet wall – driving water vapour through the wall to the interior.

  • Cold bridging condensation

    When hot air reaches an area of a building that is colder than its surroundings, condensation will form. This can happen on floor-to-wall and ceiling-to-wall joins as well as around doors and windows.

Causes of condensation

Everyday living causes a surprising amount of moisture to be released into the air. Cooking three meals a day releases five pints of water. Each shower constitutes a further half-pint. Even breathing and sweating can heavily impact the moisture load present in the air: on average, one person generates 3 pints of water a day.
There are three main groups of household activities that generate condensation in the home:

 

 

Lack of ventilation

Correct ventilation means that a good air exchange is taking place inside the house. Warm air, which generally contains a lot of water vapour, is exchanged with colder, dryer air.
Opening windows on a highly humid day will contribute towards the moisture levels in the home as the relative humidity levels may be the same or higher than those in the home.
Extractor fans are often installed incorrectly, creating a counteractive effect on the intended ventilation. If placed next to an open window, this may cause the extractor fan to ‘short circuit’, meaning it will suck in the fresh ventilation from the open window before it has had a chance to replace or mix with stale air. It is best to place extractor fans as far away from windows as possible to reduce the possibility of condensation damp and mould.

Air moisture levels

When cooking and bathing, it is assumed that leaving the bathroom or kitchen door open will help disperse the concentrated moisture particles, but this is not the case. Leaving doors open causes moisture particles to settle on cooler surfaces throughout the house. Instead, they should be ventilated during and after use to avoid mould growth, a common issue caused by excessive condensation.
There are numerous other sources of moisture which often go unnoticed. Letting the kettle boil over, leaving lids off large water sources such as cooking pans and aquariums, and placing desiccant dehumidifiers in areas where there are draperies or cloth furnishings are common activities that increase moisture content in the home. Avoiding these will make a noticeable difference to the air quality in the home and will prevent mould growth.

Fluctuating temperatures

Temperature differences are more pronounced in winter due to the significant disparity between indoor and outdoor temperatures. Suppose a property isn’t properly insulated with methods such as double glazing and specially designed internal insulation systems. In these cases, the cold air will enter enclosed properties through hairline cracks and porous materials, clashing with the warm circulating air from heat sources such as internal heating and body heat.

Internal heating should only be used to maintain a warm, constant temperature within the home. Ray Galvin, Energy Consumption expert, notes: ‘If a room is heated to 20 ºC in the day, condensation will form if surface temperature drops to 15 ºC. An initially colder room, say 13 ºC, does not suffer condensation until temperature falls to 8 ºC’*.

How to stop condensation

Preventing condensation is a good starting point to controlling condensation.
Below are a few types of preventative measures, which together make a robust deterrent against exposure to condensation:

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Reduce the amount of water in the air

As condensation is made up of water particles, reducing water saturation in the air will mean it is less likely for condensation to manifest. There are three ways to go about doing this:

  1. Lifestyle changes:

    Using internal heating to dry out furniture and wet clothes can damage internal heating systems and create fluctuating temperatures in the home. It also poses a risk to health. By heating the moisture in wet furnishings and clothes, aspergillus fungal spores can form and enter the respiratory system causing severe damage to the lungs. To avoid these issues, wet items are best dried outdoors or in a dryer with external vents.
     
    It is better to maintain a cooler temperature constantly rather than a warmer temperature occasionally, as this will create greater disparities in temperature leading to condensation and mould.

  2. Air circulation:

    Opening windows: Overall, fresh outdoor air is the gold standard for indoor air quality. Ventilation on a daily basis, ideally three times a day, is a good starting point to ensure a regular air exchange. During these ventilation periods, radiators should be turned down to avoid unnecessary energy wastage.
     
    Mechanical ventilation such as Extractor Fans and Positive Input Ventilation can help improve air circulation around the home. By keeping the air in constant movement, this prevents the stale moist air from settling. A combination of extraction and positive input create the perfect duo for improving indoor air quality.  Together, they produce a  ‘breathing’ effect in your home, sucking out moist saturated air and replacing it with clean filtered air. This will keep humidity down to a point where condensation can’t form, creating an inhospitable environment for mould growth.

  3. Water extraction:

    Calcium chloride is well known for extracting moisture from the air due to its hygroscopic qualities. Desiccant dehumidifiers are also great at collecting warm moist air and extracting moisture particles, replacing the stale air with cool, drier air to lower condensation.

Warmer Surfaces

Warmer air holds more moisture and only condenses when it comes into contact with a cool surface. Due to this, it is important to keep surfaces warmer. By eliminating the cold surface, it can be stopped from becoming a condensation magnet. Wet walls are one of the most structurally damaging circumstances that can happen to a property, which can have vast financial and health implications if left long enough.
There are several solutions for this: insulating plaster, insulating tiles and insulating boards. These will help maintain wall surface levels at a warm enough level to keep condensation and mould at bay.

 

Dealing with other forms of dampness affecting the building (e.g. rising damp and penetrating damp) can assist in lowering condensation by improving the thermal properties of the fabric of the building (building materials have a higher thermal resistance when dry than when wet).
Wiping down surfaces after cooking and bathing also aids in removing excess moisture. Too much dampness in an enclosed area gives mould a chance to grow. Using an anti-mould joint sealer for bathrooms and humid environments will help create a long-lasting resistance to mould on tiled surfaces, windows and silicone joints.

 

Remedying condensation damage

Condensation and mould issues often go unnoticed until it is too late. Black mould is one of the tell-tale signs that the moisture content in the air has gotten out of hand. In these cases, it is important to not just clean the surface mould off, but also eliminate the mould spores which are invisible to the naked eye. These mould spores enable re-growth of the mould organism. A two-fold treatment that both removes mould and protects against further colonisation is advised as a long-term solution against mould infestation.

 

 

Although condensation is most commonly associated with mould growth as it provides mould with the water that it needs to grow, dampness caused by condensation can also lead to other moisture-related problems such as dry rot in timbers. A curative and preventative treatment for rot in wood will be needed in these cases, to both remedy the damage done by the moisture, and protect it from rotting in the future.
In areas where there is persistent condensation, scrubbing mould and applying chemicals on painted surfaces can lead to fading and decolorization of the treated area. A washable mould-resistant paint or anti-mould paint additive is recommended to keep mould firmly at bay in areas of high moisture saturation. This also maintains the aesthetic appeal of the treated wall. Dryzone Mould-Resistant Emulsion Paint is a premium quality paint which prevents mould growth for a minimum of 5 years. The paint is quick drying, fully washable once cured and compatible for overpainting on all known paint finishes.

Plaster walls can become damaged by condensation absorbing into and dissolving the binders. It is important to check the moisture levels in a wall using a moisture metre to confirm that it is indeed water damage due to condensation, and not due to other causes such as rising damp, penetrating damp or leaky pipes as this would require a separate remedial treatment. The below graph demonstrates how moisture content in a wall would appear due to condensation, compared to moisture content in a wall due to rising damp:

 

 

If condensation goes for a long enough time without treatment, water oversaturation occurs. Some signs of water saturation in a wall are bulging walls, flaky or bubbling plaster, and crumbling mortar between bricks. In a worst-case scenario, when a wall reaches water absorption level which is beyond repair, this will lead to replacement being the only option. In these cases, replacing with a cement or lime based plaster is more robust as they do not get damaged so easily by liquid moisture. Cement and lime plasters are also more alkaline which means they do not support mould growth, whereas gypsum is a neutral substrate and can allow mould to grow.

 

 

Want to learn more about Condensation in Buildings?

Our CPD Webinar is suitable for DIY-ers and professional contractors.

Approved by the Royal Institute of British Architects, this one hour session will teach you:

  • The causes of condensation
  • The negative effects of condensation in the home
  • Methods of minimising condensation
  • Which method is right for you

How to get rid of condensation on plastic windows: causes, remedies

Sometimes after replacing old wooden glazing with new PVC windows, residents find that the windows are “weeping”. Condensation appears on the inside of the profile and glass. This does not mean that the plastic systems are defective. On the contrary, this confirms their high tightness. What are the causes of condensation on plastic windows and how to get rid of it? Let’s figure it out.

Previously, moisture came out of the opening through the cracks of the wooden system, and after its replacement it remains inside and accumulates on the profile, glass. High humidity is often formed in the kitchen, it can occur when there is insufficient draft at the ventilation system. In any case, you need to solve the problem quickly.

How to get rid of condensation on plastic windows

  1. Check the operation of the ventilation system.
  2. Ventilate the room regularly.
  3. Determine the temperature of the slope and window sill by touch or with a thermal imager if condensation appears there or there is mold. Is the sloped window sill noticeably colder than the frame surface? They need to be insulated and reinstalled.
  4. Inspect the front of the house for a cold, moldy profile. If necessary, insulate the windows yourself or contact professionals with this task.

To prevent windows from crying, you need to understand why they fog up and take appropriate measures. If nothing is done, then fungus and mold may develop due to high humidity.

The cause of condensation on plastic windows

Windows fog up because the room is humid. To eliminate condensate, you first need to check the operation of the ventilation system. If there is not enough draft in the ventilation shaft, artificial draft must be created. Does the ventilation system not provide a normal microclimate? Open windows from time to time to ventilate the room.

In cold weather, do the so-called burst ventilation – close the doors and open all windows wide open for 3-5 minutes. During this time, a large amount of moisture will come out into the street, and the room will not have time to cool down much. After opening the doors, the temperature in the room will quickly equalize. It is considered normal to regularly ventilate plastic windows, both when condensation appears and in its absence. PVC glazing is designed for frequent opening of sashes and is equipped with reliable fittings. A properly installed quality profile remains stable for years. It is easy to open and close.

Condensation on plastic windows can often be observed in kitchens where there is a high temperature difference between outside and inside. To solve the problem, do not neglect ventilation, otherwise you may see mold on the windows one day. It occurs on slopes, profile, in the corners of the opening, when the humidity is stably increased. Mold infects poorly insulated slopes. Their surface is cold, and this provokes the appearance of condensation. It usually accumulates on cold surfaces. Even a well-insulated slope at very high humidity can become moldy. In this case, it is necessary to check how the ventilation works.

What measures would not help?

  • It is necessary to change the tires on the windows if they “cry”. PVC systems are already tight enough and do not let moisture out. Changing tires won’t do anything. Any rubber for glazing plays the role of a sealant.

  • Fittings do not need to be changed. If the fasteners did not press the sash against the frame well enough, condensation would hardly bother you.

  • Do not change the window system itself unless it’s of extremely dubious quality. Replacing normal glazing does not save you from condensation.

Now you know the causes of condensation on plastic windows and how to fix this problem. Take advantage of our recommendations and don’t panic. Having found water drops on PVC, do not rush to look for new windows or sealing rubber. There are simpler, more affordable and more effective ways. Ventilate the room regularly, normalize ventilation and insulate the slopes. In most cases, these simple measures are sufficient. If necessary, contact specialists. We can adjust sashes, repair Novotex, REHAU, KBE and other brands of windows, as well as install new plastic or aluminum glazing.

Weeping windows – 5 ways to get rid of condensate forever

Condensation on windows is an urgent problem for many owners of private houses and apartments. Especially often, liquid condensation is observed on plastic window structures during the cold periods of the year. While glass is an excellent conductor of heat, metal is not a very good heat insulator. It is thanks to these features around the perimeter that the glass freezes, creating the effect of “weeping” windows. As a result, water flows down the glass surfaces in streams, forming stains and puddles on the windowsill.

In order to get rid of this unpleasant and dangerous problem, it is necessary to determine how and why condensation occurs, what consequences it entails and how the dehumidifier helps in the fight. The article is devoted to the methods of determining the sources of such a phenomenon and methods of eliminating the problem. Read on.

We advise you to read: “How to reduce the humidity in the house effectively, quickly and easily?”

Why do windows cry?

There can be several reasons for the effect of “weeping” windows:

High humidity

If the humidity in living rooms exceeds 30-45% (maximum 60%), condensation will invariably form on the windows. This, by the way, is the first and clearest sign that the room is damp and without solving the problem, harmful organisms will soon begin to actively develop. Especially often plastic / wooden windows fog up and cry in rooms where water is regularly used: bathroom, kitchen. But with high humidity throughout the house, condensation will occur even in the bedroom, living room and nursery.

Learn more here: “Why is damp in the apartment: Reviews of the causes”

The dew point

is incorrectly calculated if the temperature in the living room is less than the “dew point”, the water vapor contained in air flows condenses and settles on various surfaces, including window structures. That is why it is advised to install heaters under the window in houses: this way the glass warms up well and a kind of “curtain” is created that prevents cool air from entering the room.

Important material: “How to effectively get rid of dampness in the bathroom?”

Poor quality windows or installation

In case of improper installation of windows and slopes, the tightness of the structure is violated and, as a result, condensate begins to collect on the surfaces. Therefore, installation work is best left to professionals. In addition to poor-quality installation, the cause of “weeping” glasses may lie in the windows themselves, namely, marriage or an insufficient number of cameras, the thickness of the double-glazed window (it is advised to install 3-chamber systems with a wide profile).

Useful information: “9 secrets to prevent dampness in a house or apartment”

Poor ventilation

With the help of a ventilation system and regular ventilation, moisture is removed from the room to the outside. Therefore, it is important to provide the house / apartment with good ventilation, open windows daily (especially when cooking, washing, drying clothes), and turn on the hood.

Useful article: “Flood dehumidifier in an apartment – 6 steps to eliminate the consequences”

Insufficient heating, an abundance of plants that love frequent watering, leaks in communication systems, various household chores and the person himself are also the causes of condensation on the windows.

Why are weeping windows dangerous?

Condensation on windows, at first glance, is not an urgent and dangerous problem. However, although the effects of “window tears” do not appear immediately, they can entail significant financial costs and irreversible results.

Weeping windows:

Contribute to the spread of fungus and mold.

Destroys plastered slopes and wall trim.

Create an unhealthy and uncomfortable atmosphere.

Reduce thermal insulation and increase the heat loss of the structure.

Misted and condensed glass obscures the view from the window and impairs natural light.

See also: “Dehumidifier for repair and construction – higher quality, shorter terms”

5 ways to remove condensation from windows

The choice of method for dealing with weeping windows, of course, depends on the cause of condensation on them.

But we will start with a universal one – installing a household dehumidifier in a house or apartment. This is a “smart” technique that operates fully automatically, continuously and over a wide temperature range. Bathroom, kitchen, nursery or even unheated rooms (balcony, cellar. attic) – the device is suitable for any room in the house and apartment. The main thing is to choose the right equipment, set the desired humidity range and do not forget to periodically empty the condensate tank. This option is very simple, affordable, effective and recommended for permanent use.

What else to do if plastic or wooden windows “cry”:

Reduce the window sill. Fans of growing plants on the windowsill often order it very wide, which blocks the access of warm streams from the battery to the glass. It is advised to make a window sill of such a width that it does not cover the heating equipment: this way the glass will warm up and the condensate will evaporate.

Make a convection screen. To do this, you need to install at an angle of 30-60 ° small plates in width, which will direct warm air from the heater to the window system.

Install ventilation valves. Among modern plastic windows there are models with built-in valves through which air is exchanged and excess moisture is removed from the room. But in the absence of such, you can equip the structure with them yourself.

Add heaters. If the central heating does not provide enough heat, additional electrical appliances should be used and it is advisable to place them in close proximity to the “weeping” window so that it warms up well and does not collect condensate on the glass.