Whenever the temperature outside is significantly lower than inside - mainly in the winter - condensation on windows can occur. If you have double pane windows and condensation is sometimes an issue, this blog post will hopefully provide some helpful insights.
When noticing condensation on your windows, it's important to check whether the moisture is on the inside (room side) of the window, or inbetween the glass panes. If condensation occurs between the glass panes it means the sealed unit has failed and needs to be replaced.
Should the moisture/water droplets occur on the inside of the window, where you can just wipe it away, you should consider the following:
- do you have any curtains, heavy drapes or mini-blinds in front of your windows? If yes, open or move to the side, to improve air circulation to the window
- is your house less than one year old or was completely renovated less than a year ago? Residual moisture in building materials (lumber, paint...) can play a role for up to one year.
- if you have a bathroom without a window: is the fan sized appropriately? An average bathroom should have a 70-90 cfm fan, otherwise not enough air gets moved.
- are your kitchen rangehood and dryer vented to the outside? If not, the moist air for cooking or drying laundry will increase humidity in your house and thus condensation.
- is there sufficient insulation around your windows? You have to take the window casings off to check - if there is a gap between the windows and the wall, cold air can penetrate and increase condensation on your windows. You can use bats of insulation or low expansion foam to fill any voids and put the casings back on.
If you have any questions about windows and how to properly maintain them please don't hesitate to stop by or give us a call!