condensation on double glazed windows

cullet

Do you have a extractor fan in the shower room ?.

bretts

yes i do and i leave the window open of the bathroom almost all day just close the bathroom door so it does not get cold throughout the house. Its normally at 90 to 95% in the bathroom without that.

Robwiz

The air throughout a house acts like one container full of gas or liquid. So showering or cooking will increase the humidity in a room but the saturated vapour pressure will equalise throughout the house during the day. Simple things like wiping the shower walls with a squeegee help as that creates more surface area for water to condense, lowering the relative humidity.

As homes are made more airtight, there is less opportunity for the inside air to mix with air from outside, naturally reducing the relative humidity (RH). This is a good thing as too much ventilation is a big heat loss and air takes a lot of energy to heat.

So unless you do something to actively reduce the internal RH it will continue to rise as occupants breath out moist air. Not adding moisture by using extractors in kitchens and bathrooms is important. Not drying clothes indoors (or venting the tumble drier outside) helps.

To prevent mould either windows should be left open for 10 minutes or so, trickle vents left open (if fitted) or a dehumidifier used. Opening windows will encourage the humid air inside to mix with the less humid air outside to bring the internal RH down when you close the windows again.

Turning the temperature up allows the air to carry more humidity but it will still want to condense on any cold surfaces. It's worth buying a cheap humidity meter from an online auction site. Consistently high RH readings may point to other problems, like plumbing leaks below the floor.

bouicca21

Maybe explore the possibility of getting trickle vents for the windows.

Mojisola

moneylover wrote: »

Have read a thread on here about de-humidifiers but would be expensive solution for each room

You don't need a dehumidifier for every room.

We have ours on the upstairs landing and leave the bedroom doors open - the air moves around.

Robwiz

Mojisola wrote: »

You don't need a dehumidifier for every room.

We have ours on the upstairs landing and leave the bedroom doors open - the air moves around.

I agree, one will make a difference provided the bedroom and bathroom doors are open and the windows/trickle vents are closed whilst the dehumidifier is running.

Rather than the landing, try using the dehumidifier in the room with the biggest condensation problem first.

DRP

bretts wrote: »

Hi DRP

Well the problem I have is more on the first floor but regardless the humidity is about 80% everywhere.

I just bought the house recently about a year ago and when I got it renovated I had no idea of anything as never did any DIY and the builders I used were really crap so they did not suggest me to do anything so I do not even have an underfloor insulation on the ground floor which makes my ground floor freezing in winters, I only used to come on site rarely when the work was done but from what I remember and if i am not wrong, I think our floorboards are right above soil but I am not at all sure, the wooden flooring we have is solid wood floor but it expands a little in the winters and sort of settles in the summers. I am thinking that I will get the wooden flooring and floorboards out and treat and insulate the whole ground floor with the way it should be done.

Mould is only either in the bedroom or a bit in bathroom but I think the reason for that mould could be that I have chest in front of the wall and it has no legs and therefore no circulation so I am planning to buy some legs and fit it under the chest to see if that makes any difference.

When you say the floorboards are 'right above soil' do you mean there is very little gap space under the floorboards before the soil?

That can be a problem as very little ventilation occurs - when you look around the exterior do you have airbricks?

bretts

There is space as I know there are air bricks outside so I would say about 10 to 15 cms but I am not sure. I have not closed or blocked them as I know they are important, Although in winters the draught keeps pulling my mind towards closing them atleast for winters.

Pennylane

bit of a long shot ... Does your daughter have a Dimplex Optimyst Fire? They give off water vapour and we've just returned ours to the shop as the condensation it caused on our double glazing was incredible. All over the house too, not just in the lounge.

robotrobo

I had something of the same problem when I purchased our bungalow some 8 years ago!, it sounds if your problem is far greater than ours.

On frosty mornings the windows do suffer the condensation through the winter months approx 30 days or so each year, you can only do what other posters have recommended!, after you have tried all the advice , then go & buy a rechargeable karcher window vac , they cost from £39 - £50 & they work a treat , suck all the moisture away from the glass & the cills , switch the heating up to your level , open the windows for a short period of time approx 10mins to air the bedrooms, close the ventilated windows except maybe to the bathroom when you are satisfied that things are looking dry , after your showers use the karcher to vac clean all the water after the last person that has used it & this will go a long way to make the problem more liveable.
Like I have said its a slight problem in our bungalow & these things I have suggested do make life a lot easier , & no real damp problems if any, ok I don't have to dash out to work in a morning !, but it only takes less than 5mins to complete this task on certain cold days through the winter months, I hope you take notice & give it a try , you will be surprised.
Also if the house is as bad with damp issues at the moment , another tip is slightly pull bedroom furniture away from the wall & skirting allowing air to circulate around the bedrooms .;)