Does Your Home have a Window Condensation Problem?

Does Your Home have a Window Condensation Problem?

By Ruth MacEachern

Product Manager

Even though the weather is starting to improve, it is still a little bit too cold to leave your windows open at night, so the chances are that you are still waking up each morning with windows that are covered in condensation and seeing pools of water on your windowsills.

Streaming windows are one of the most common symptoms of a condensation problem that can lead to damp and the growth of unsightly and dangerous mould in your house.

What is the cause of condensation

Activities in your home that release water vapour into the air contribute to condensation.  Bathing, cooking, and even drying clothes indoors are major sources of moisture.  During the night, breathing is a major source of moisture – every time we exhale, we release a small amount of water into the air from that builds up overtime and leads to streaming windows in the morning.

Condensation is formed when warm, humid air meets cool surfaces like windows or exterior walls.  When the air temperature drops, it can no longer hold as much water vapour.  The water is released to form droplets that make up the condensation you see in the morning.

On surfaces like glass or tiles, condensation stays on the surface and can be wiped away easily, but on porous surfaces like walls and woodwork, the condensation soaks in to cause damp patches, which are a bigger problem.

Reducing Condensation

There are some common sense changes you can make that will reduce the amount of condensation that in your home.  Runing the extractor fan when taking a shower or cooking and keeping your bathroom and kitchen doors closed helps to contain humid air.  Leaving your windows open when the outside temperature allows it will also also help and improve air flow around your home.  Good airflow reduces the chances of air coming into contact with cold surfaces for long enough for condensation to form. 

However, these steps do not prevent condensation altogether.  In order to stop  condensation for good and reduce the risk of damp and mould growth, you will need to improve the ventilation in your home.

Simple extractor fans in bathrooms and kitchens are extremely useful in tackling the amount of moisture in those rooms, however they do not run all the time, and do not affect the airflow in other areas of your home.

In order to prevent condensation altogether, you need to consider whole house ventilation such as a Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) system.  These work by drawing air in from outdoors through a central pump and then distributing it around the house.  The fresh air is filtered to remove impurities and gently fed into your rooms to displace the moist air which can settle into condensation.

If you are concerned about the amount of condensation in your home and want to avoid the risk of damp or the health problems caused by the growth of black mould, then you should speak to one of our local specialists.  They can arrange a free home survey to assess the risk and recommend the right actions to take in order to prevent condensation and damp forever.  Contact us today to find out more.