Condensation?? (merged threads)

lizziebell*80

27col wrote: »

While I am prepared to accept that some peoples life style will generate much more water than mine does. It does seem to me, that the amount of water vapour being generated, could be reduced by modification of life style in some way.
As latecomer and richardw say, people need to check out what is causing their condensation. Just buying a dehumidifier is just masking the problem. Maybe they should talk to friends and neighbours and compare life styles to see what the ones who are not getting condensation problems, are doing, that is different from what they are doing.
Obviously, every one's arrangements and housing is different, but I bet there would be something to be learned.

I have a Victorian house with single glazing, solid walls so no cavity insulation possible, the loft is insulated too and we get quite bad condensation at times, only when it is cold though. I have been trying not to switch the heating on for as long as possible for obvious reasons. I have to have small windows open all the time in our bedroom but even then we still get it. I won't get DG, for one I can't afford it and I hear that people still get condensation with it anyway. We also have a cellar which may be adding to it however I was quoted £6k to dampproof/sort it out so again crazy money.

As for changing our lifestyle I really don't think not having showers, cooking or breathing would get me far as this is the only things we do, oh and having washing on driers in the house, but I don't think anyone else would be doing much different to us in that respect so not sure exactly what we could change to prevent the condensation wrt lifestyle??

I have just bought a dehumidifier off Ebay after finding the suggestion on here and I reckon it's going to make me much happier- at the moment the condensation really gets to me as I have to wipe it all off every day all the windows- there isn't anything more I can do to prevent it so getting the dehumudufier won't be masking the "problem" as the problem is having an old house which is out of my hands really (clearly bad time to do the drastic thing and move!).

Kavanne

Well... so far my bowl of salt is working very well! No condensation this morning!!

cheggers

My house has PVC windows, must be 12-15 years old (previous owner had them put in).

This year nearly every window in the house is now full of condenstation in a morning, any tips to prevent this.

Is there something you can do with washing up liquid or is that an old wives tale.

Let me know a number of solution, not really got the money for a load of new windows.

Forgot to say I had cavity wall installation about 2 -3 years back as well.

*~*Pinky*~*

I would also be interested in any tips, we had to resort to a dehumidifier last year One of our problems is drying clothes, I think a tumble dryer will reduce a lot of this.

Oldernotwiser

Opening the windows and airing the rooms also helps.

WestonDave

There is already a recent thread on this which contains most of the information - in short have decent ventilation to let moist air escape, try to avoid cold spots (windows in a cavity wall insulated house will be the cold spots) where warm moist air will cool and dump its water content as condensation, and don't generate excess moisture by drying clothes on radiators or airers - out them out on the line or use a tumble drier (properly vented unless its a condensing one).

As for the washing up liquid - it will break up the surface tension of the droplets that cause the fog effect, but it won't warm the surface so you'll still have the problem just invisibly (and it'll wash off pretty quick as well!).

latecomer

check out the other threads on this. you need to figure out if the problem is simply due to your lifestyle i.e. lots of showers and wet clothes or if there is a problem.
e.g. we have a problem with damp in one wall and it causes havoc with condensation so I need to find and fix the source which should hopefully help get rid of the problem.

Ventilation is a must too.

richardw

Ventilation Ventilation Ventilation

dougk_2

Maybe check how hot your house is. Turning the heating down a couple of degrees can help... but as already been posted, ventilation is key.
The "green" approach to blocking up every gap to the outside world, (loft insulation, double glazing, strips round doors etc) actually in my view is bad to keeping houses free of damp and mould and is overall false economy if you then have damp/structural issues caused by rot.

markelock

richardw wrote: »

Ventilation Ventilation Ventilation

i think it will work.

to be fair the presenters probably don't have much else to do, at least for the foreseeable!