What causes condensation on windows?

willing2learn_3

Hi everyone

I know that's a bit of a basic question, but i've never had this problem before anywhere else i've lived.....however in my current flat there is excessive condensation over all my windows first thing in the morning. It only happens in winter....i used to open my windows and go off to work, thinking that this would dry it up, but it often doesn't and it's making the wooden frames go soft and they will start to rot.

My landlady says i don't ventilate the flat enough but i open the windows every morning and it's freezing whilst trying to get ready for work. In theory i'm not supposed to leave them open while i'm out at work, or out of the flat as it breaks the contract (however now she's saying when she passes by in the day she can't see the windows ope - no because that breaks the contract!!!!!!) - however even on days where i've left the windows oepn all day it doesn't clear it - it's a case of having to wipe them dry every morning.

I resent the fact that she says it's me not ventilating the flat though. It can't be because i do. I've never had this problem anywhere else....so why do some windows do this and others don't? Thoughts?

I can see her eventually charging me for new window frames.

thanks for listening

LandyAndy

The windows are cold and the air in the flat is moist.

Things that make it worse.

Cold weather.
Single glazing.
Lack of ventilation.
Creating lots of water vapour eg drying lots of clothes, lengthy cooking.

ItMightBeUsefulOneDay

willing2learn wrote: »

there is excessive condensation over all my windows first thing in the morning. It only happens in winter

(WARNING - Science 101 lesson ahead)

Cold surfaces causes water vapour in the air to condense out into water which you can then see.

Glass in the winter is cold. Single glazing very cold.

The inside of your flat is warm with the heating on and will contain a lot of moisture especially if you've had a shower, are drying your clothes on the rads or are just living in there.

lynzpower

What sort of windows are they? Are they UPVC - do they have trickle vents, if so open them

I know what you mean, we have trickles on lounge but nothing in the bedroom the morning there is condensation from our breath. Also we leave kitchen door open a bit when cooking eg boiling pasta

What causes it is generally water in the air, your breath, water coming off washing you are drying indoors for example, let alone having a shower.

IS there a working extractor in the bathroom, if so leave it on after shower, open a window and close the door

Wipe condensation with a cloth or kitchen paper or lie bits of newspaper down

Without leaving windows open you probably wont get rid of it, but then there should be extractors, trickle vents, airbricks etc to ventilate the proprty without a security risk of leaving wondows open

Depending if you have upvc sometimes there is acatch where you can leave window slighly open but the window remains locked

What sort of property is it, conversion, new build etc?

BitterAndTwisted

Condensation is caused by moisture in the air hitting the coldest surface in the property. The only way to overcome this is:

Check the exterior of the building to ensure that no blocked gutters or down-pipes are causing water to run down the walls when it rains.

Prevent as much moisture as possible from evaporating and circulating inside. This could include closing the kitchen door and opening windows while cooking, closing the bathroom door while bathing. Drying laundry indoors in winter can often be the cause of condensation and mould.

Ventilate adequately.

Heat.

If you cannot give the place a good airing each day because you can't leave the windows open I would suggest you investigate acquiring a dehumidifier. They don't cost that much to run and can be very effective.

PLEASE do not wipe down the windows and sills if you are going to keep the damp cloths hanging around indoors anywhere because the moisture will evaporate into the air again and you won't get anywhere.

GDB2222

The biggest cause of condensation problems is drying washing indoors. A washing machine load contains several pints of water even after spin-drying.

funkymonkey849

Landlords always say ventilation! The only houses I've had problems with condensation have been poorly heated, poorly insulated, leaky damp sh!tholes

I don't like to have the heating on overnight or in the day while I'm at work so I make sure the house is wam in the evening, and then when I go to bed I open the bedroom window so no condensation forms overnight. Unless I am there all day I keep the windows shut

If I'm cooking or after a shower I open the window. If drying clothes I keep most of the clothes in the bathroom with the window open

You can ventilate until the cows come home but if the house is cold and damp then you're fighting a losing battle

poppysarah

There are devices that can go in air brick vent spaces that get rid of the damp from the air and keep the warm air in.

Triton Heat Recovery Room Ventilator

is the sort of thing I think

PasturesNew

Quick/easy thing to get it sorted once and for all this week: get a dehumidifier.

angrypirate

PasturesNew wrote: »

Quick/easy thing to get it sorted once and for all this week: get a dehumidifier.

Why should a tenant have to fork out for the capital and running costs of a dehumidifier (the symtom) when the landlord isnt interested in making the investment to remedy the unlying cause of the problem. Its caused by cheap, single glazed windows with no ventilation around the windows. If the LL isnt happy about it, then he / she should do something about it, not complain to the tenant.

MORPH3US

angrypirate wrote: »

Why should a tenant have to fork out for the capital and running costs of a dehumidifier (the symtom) when the landlord isnt interested in making the investment to remedy the unlying cause of the problem. Its caused by cheap, single glazed windows with no ventilation around the windows. If the LL isnt happy about it, then he / she should do something about it, not complain to the tenant.

To be fair we don't know if the above is true...

If its a flat then the OP is possibly drying clothes on the radiators and that is whats causing it.