Condensation on windows

Smartie24

My house suffered from this badly as the air circulation was not good enough with windows shut. I have good thick loft insulation and was advised by a builder that if I pulled the insulation back from the eaves about a foot, leaving a gap with no insulation all round the edge, this would improve air circulation in the whole house. Doing that along with fitting a better extractor fan in the bathroom has really made a big difference.

thriftwizard

Bizarrely, we had condensation on the outside of our conservatory windows this morning. Not really a problem! But the air trapped inside must have been colder than the air outside, and indeed when I opened the door, there was a warm, damp breeze and I realised it wasn't foggy after all!

sonastin

Might be a slightly extravagant solution as it only deals with the condensation and not the causes but we use one of the karcher window vac thingys to clear the condensation off the windows that don't have trickle vents on them. Where we have trickle vents on the windows, we don't have the same problem with condensation and hence no problem with the blinds going mouldy!

Wildoats

We have a large dehumidifier, and run it whenever there is condensation on the windows. If the air inside the house is at a humidity level above the dew point of whatever temperature the windows are at then moisture will not condense on them.
Recently there was a water leak outside the house next door and the humidity in the front room shot up - it took a week of running the dehumidifier and getting many full tanks of water before it dries out and we think that there must have been water under the floorboards. It is cheaper to run a dehumidifier than to open windows in cold weather. If you can wash off the mould before starting to dry out the air it is better as it stops the spores drying and flying about.

pumpkinlife

We are having this problem in our bedroom - tiny radiator at opposite end of the room, our bed directly under the window, meaning our breath condensing on the glass for 8 hours.

I remember my friends mum had long wicking strips of cotton (like loosely woven cord) pressed along the base of the glass of her huge bay windows, the end dangling off of the window sill and into a fizzy drinks bottle on the floor. The water dripped into the bottle and she tipped it away every few days. I am considering setting something like this up, so I will report back if it works.

pollypenny

Our house is well insulated. I never dry washing in the house. However, we do have some condensation on living room windows and quite a lot on our bedroom window, in spite of having it open a crack.

It's a 1967 house, the windows are large.

We are wondering whether the double glazing needs to be replaced, as it's about 24 years old.

Minihauk

thriftwizard wrote: »

Bizarrely, we had condensation on the outside of our conservatory windows this morning. Not really a problem! But the air trapped inside must have been colder than the air outside, and indeed when I opened the door, there was a warm, damp breeze and I realised it wasn't foggy after all!

Thriftwizard,
I have new double glazed windows and now get this regularly. Apparently it is very common, and people on the Continent are used to it as their glazing is much better insulated than ours. I did not get it with the old windows. I don't know the science behind it but am sure there must be a reason!

JulieGeorgiana

I dry my windows with a towel (I have 2 in brown just for this) each morning, and open the windows a crack to then allow them to finish drying naturally. I find I no longer get mould anywhere but the bathroom now.

I clean the towels regularly, but find it's better then wasting kitchen roll. I also stopped drying clothes in the house, and leave doors open more to allow air to circulate better.

I was advised that after showering you should open your window fully and close the door as it 'sucks' the moisture outside. We've found it helps a lot.

lyndorset

thriftwizard wrote: »

Bizarrely, we had condensation on the outside of our conservatory windows this morning. Not really a problem! But the air trapped inside must have been colder than the air outside, and indeed when I opened the door, there was a warm, damp breeze and I realised it wasn't foggy after all!

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

John_Stone

The best way, if it is just condensation confined to the windows, is double glazing.

The cheapest way to double glaze is to use bubble wrap. If the window is just moistened then the bubble wrap will stick to the window and stay there.

Clearly it ruins the view but if that doesn't matter then it will let the light in and can be taken down as soon as the weather gets warmer.

A great cheap temporary solution.