What causes condensation on windows?

willing2learn_3

thanks everyone i'll give this more thought when i get home later....for now, i hardly bath or shower there because the water heater is broken, i go 5 mins up the road to my mums, so that is not causing it - washing does not go on the radiator but on a clothes horse....but that is once a week, usually when i'm home all day and have windows open and heating on....the condensation is happening all the time. I don't cook very often at the property due to current circumstances i'm providing my mother with a lot of support and in return she cooks for me after work.....

What i'm really trying to ascertain is whether it's possible for me to prevent it, if there's anything i'm doing wrong and how much this landlady can blame me for it. mould is already forming on the bedroom windows now and that's with heating on at night, ventilation in the morning (windows open).....

thanks for listening. I've never known this problem anywhere else and never had to wipe windows in the morning, but will try that.

poppysarah

willing2learn wrote: »

washing does not go on the radiator but on a clothes horse....but that is once a week, usually when i'm home all day and have windows open and heating on....the condensation is happening all the time. I don't cook very often at the property due to current circumstances i'm providing my mother with a lot of support and in return she cooks for me after work.....

Clothes drying where ever inside will cause moisture to get into the air.

Get a tumble dryer and hang the hose out of the window or dry clothes outside.

Gwhiz

I'm renting a house with single glazing so have to wipe the windows down in the mornings right now.

It's an inconvenience but not exactly a show stopper.

ManicMum

I think in this country it's a problem we just have to live with. I live in Scotland and have TRIPLE glazing but my windows are still running with water. I don't hang wet clothes (apart from the odd thing that can't go in the tumble drier) and get mouldy patches in a 20 year old house. It could be worse.

willing2learn_3

I know it's not such a big deal to wipe the windows but the wood will get mouldy and rot anyway even if i wipe them, it's already so wet by the morning.

Cannot afford the tumble dryer, I suppose i could go to the lauderette to dry the clothes but since that is only once a week event, it's not the only thing causing this.

I guess i'm just trying to get very clear how much of this is my fault and how much of it is something to do with the windows themselves.....because yes my landlady is one of those people that is constantly critical and it does look like she's thinking about the deposit i've paid....she's already mentioned it.

jangor_2

As previous poster mentioned, it is almost impossible to eradicate condensation in the U.K. I have moved many times and, apart from one property with airbricks, I have always had this problem. I have doors and windows open almost permanently when I am at home but living in a bungalow it is necessary to close the windows at night. I also have double glazing but have found it impossible to stop the windows streaming with water. I am sorry I cannot suggest a solution but just wanted to say I sympathise. I used to have a dehumidifier and agree they are a great help but I did find my electricity bill rose.

BitterAndTwisted

willing2learn wrote: »

Cannot afford the tumble dryer, I suppose i could go to the lauderette to dry the clothes but since that is only once a week event, it's not the only thing causing this.

Actually, it could be the cause. Drying one washing- load could be putting pints and pints of moisture into the air. I would most definitely dry washing at the launderette and see if it makes any difference.

I guess i'm just trying to get very clear how much of this is my fault and how much of it is something to do with the windows themselves.

It's absolutely nothing to do with the windows themselves. They are responsible for indicating there's a problem and are not the cause of it.

Cut down on anything which will add moisture to the air. Just being in a property and breathing puts a pint of moisture into the air a day. Heat. Ventilate. Consider investing in a dehumidifier as one can make a huge difference.

princeofpounds

Why is the water heater broken? Ask the LL in writing to fix it. A source of heating and hot water is a legal requirement. So much so that failure to provide one is a criminal offence, not just a civil matter. If the repair is not completed in time then you can enforce repairs by either using the tenant's right to repair (Lee Parker vs Izzet 1971 procedure) or by calling in environmental health to issue a legally-binding repairing order.

Plus, you need the paper trail of the water heater being broken because it might be useful in the future for a variety of reasons.

Also complain in writing about the mould. Point out that lengths you have gone to in order to try to deal with the problem. Point out the contradictory demands about window opening. Point out that you don't even shower in the property at the moment due to the boiler problem (see, this is one reason it is useful) and the mould is growing. All this will help establish an evidence trail that moves any blame from you to her. Ask for her to fund a dehumidifier too.

Finally, you can consider calling in environmental health to do an inspection under the housing health and safety ratings system. They can issue legally binding repair and modification orders (including the boiler!) and damp and cold is *specifically* within their remit as one of the covered hazards.

Of course calling them in might upset the landlord, maybe even to the point that she terminates your contract once the fixed period ends. Such is life - at least she would find it hard to charge you for the damp.

picardygirl

We suffer terribly this time of year with condensation in the bedrooms, we have double glazing, we sleep with a window slightly open, which doesnt help at all!

We've tried lots of things, we have got a tumble dryer so dont have clothes hanging around, we've fitted a fan above the shower which takes the moisture straight out the eves of the roof, always keep the bathroom window slightly open and the door is always closed .... the only thing that does help is a dehumidifier, cost us about £80. Doesnt totally get rid of the running windows, but helps enormously!

Gambit

Well I can definitely sympathise with you Willing2Learn as the last rental property I was in had the exact same problem and the landlady told me the same about ventalating the property which I tried to do but then I ended up being cold a lot of the time especially as it was single glazing with no central heating so it's not as if I could warm things up quickly...

In regards to the mould, I had a big problem with this as mould spores can be really bad for your health. So one Saturday I went down to Homebase and bought this mould cleaner and used it to clean all the window edges, sill and even blinds. It did the job and from then on I just used these absorbant shammy similar to this one, that I get from the Ideal Home Show every year to mop up the condensation as much as possible.

I've now moved and bought my own flat and was surprised to have the same problems, albeit not as bad. So it seems that it is a common problem in the UK. A bit worried too and still trying to find the best way to deal with it as I've just redecorated the flat and dont want condensation spoiling the paint work... I've not bought them yet, but I think I'm gonna try some of these products as they might work:

http://www.lakeland.co.uk/pingi-dehumidifier/F/keyword/condensation/product/22775

http://www.lakeland.co.uk/lakeland-moisture-magnet/F/keyword/condensation/product/22563

http://www.lakeland.co.uk/moisture-trap/F/keyword/condensation/product/21538

Also are you maybe able to dry your clothes in the bathroom with the window open? As that might help.

GDB2222 wrote: »

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

The is really interesting, thanks for that info as I never would have thought it clothes would contain that much water! :eek:

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.

Agree but then if they provide a dehumidifier, would they have to replace it if it went wrong? Asking as I might be a landlord in the future and would want to help the tenant deal with the condensation as much as poss but would also be wary of them breaking this piece of equipment.

Best of luck Willing2Learn, hope this helps...

Peter