Tackling condensation on windows

Pretty Window

Tackling condensation on windows

Craig Smith, Director Copperfield Windows discusses the main causes of condensation and explains what we can do to help reduce it.

Seeing the world outside through misted windows can be a source of frustration but condensation, or more accurately the mould that it attracts, can have far more serious consequences – condensation can be a killer.

Medical research has found numerous direct links between air quality, mould, house dust mites and lung and throat diseases including asthma.

Everyday life can cause condensation in windows including, cooking, showering – even breathing. All of these release moisture or water vapour into the air. Condensation is the by-product.

Why does condensation form?

There is a limit to how much water vapour the air can hold. The rule is that the warmer the air, the more vapour it can accommodate, which is why on colder days, condensation is more likely to form.

This will happen if moisture in the air makes contact with a cooler surface, for example outside wall or window. When this happens, the vapour in the air will become more concentrated, forming droplets – condensation.

Will new energy efficient windows and doors eliminate condensation in my home?

As much as we would love to say ‘yes’ they won’t – but they will reduce it. If the inside glass surface is warmer, it’s less likely to attract condensation. But this isn’t a fix in itself, it just means that the condensation is collecting somewhere else, most probably an outside wall.

What can I do to reduce condensation?

There are two main courses of action, one is a change in behavior, the other is making sure that rooms are adequately ventilated.

This can be as simple as regularly opening windows when cooking or after showering or fitting extractor fans in kitchens and bathrooms.

Windows can also be part of the solution. Trickle vents provide background ventilation, maintaining a constant low level flow of air through your property improving air quality.

But it’s the lifestyle changes which have the biggest impact:

• Dry washing outside whenever you can. Washing draped over radiators and the backs of chairs releases huge volumes of water vapour into the air as it drys
• Always cover pots and pans while cooking 
• Keep bathrooms and kitchen doors closed while in use
• Insulate and maintain a constant temperature using low level heating

*As a footnote if windows are misted on the inside of the glass, it means that your double-glazed unit has failed and will need to be repaired or replaced.

Copperfield Windows supplies hundreds of energy efficient PVC-U windows and doors throughout Coventry each year, making homes not only warmer and helthier. This includes an extensive range of low maintenance and energy efficient PVC-U windows.

For more information email admin.copperfield@btconnect.com or call a member of our team on 02476 452688.