If you’ve been thinking about how to stop window condensation, you have come to the right place.
You’ve seen it, and you probably see it every day when you get out of the bath or shower, and the bathroom mirrors and windows are all misted up—you might have even written a little message on it or drawn a heart.
The thing about condensation is that, given the right set of circumstances, it can be very bad for windows and your home and even be bad for your health. Below, we’ll discuss six ways to stop condensation.
How to Stop Window Condensation Day and Night
Condensation in homes is more likely to occur in two sets of circumstances that rely on varying temperatures, such as:
1. When cold weather meets the warm windows from indoor heating
2. When warm air outside hits cool surfaces, like a window in an air-conditioned house.
In winter, when heated air inside meets the cold surface outside, condensation forms on the inside of the window. While in summer, when hot air from outside meets cooled air inside, condensation forms on the outside of the window.
There are six easy ways to keep moisture levels in residential homes as low as possible, these include:
Open the Drapes
Humidity is a major cause of window condensation, and its levels are likely to be higher in bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms.
Unfortunately, condensation likes to travel, so it’s not uncommon for the excessive humidity from the kitchen to cause condensation on the living room windows, and the humidity from bathrooms could condense on the windows in a bedroom or two.
Humidity thrives in the trapped air behind drapes, so opening them will expose the windows to cooler air, which will help dry the moisture.
Open the Windows
The same principle applies to opening windows. All the condensation on kitchen windows is caused by the heat and humidity from cooking and boiling kettles. Opening the windows allows the hot air to escape and cool air to come in. This balances the temperature, and the moisture dries away.
Keeping windows in your bedroom open can stop condensation on windows at night.
Airflow and Ventilation
Circulating the air with a ceiling fan keeps humidity levels down, and the sluggish, humid air that causes condensation is dissipated by the movement of the fans.
Sometimes, this is the easiest and best solution, even in wintertime. You don’t have to keep the ceiling fans on for long, 15 minutes should do the trick to prevent moisture buildup.
Exhaust Fans
Exhaust or extractor fans are designed to remove damp, humid air from whichever room they happen to be in. Usually, these are used in kitchens and bathrooms, but it’s worth considering one for your laundry room, especially if it is inside your home.
Keep the exhaust fan running for about 15 minutes after you’ve finished clearing all the moisture from the window panes, and make sure to clean them regularly, so they always operate to their full capacity.
Adjust the Humidifier
If you are running a humidifier, it’s probably for a good reason. However, its function is in its name—humidifiers increase the humidity level in the air. If possible, turn it off for a few minutes until the moisture dries. If you can’t turn it off, see if you can turn it down, and if you can’t turn it down, open a window.
Rethink Your Plants
Plants release moisture into the air through a process called transpiration—they absorb water from the soil and release water vapor through their leaves. If you have herbs or houseplants growing in your kitchen, try and keep them away from the windows where they can contribute to the condensation.
Why Should I Prevent Window Condensation?
There are two major reasons preventing condensation is so important.
1. It damages your house.
2. It damages your health.
Whenever condensation drips down your windows, it gets into the wood window frame, the painted windowsill, and the wallpapered wall beneath the sill. Over time, the frame starts to warp, the paint blisters, and the wallpaper peels.
Depending on how soon you catch the problem, you may just need to replace the window frame. If the dripping has been going on for years, you might need to replace the entire window, and you might need a contractor to examine the walls to see how bad the water damage is there.
The damage can extend way beyond the window. Moisture collects on any cool surface, including the walls and ceiling, which will stain in the long run. Moreover, the problem doesn’t stop there, it can also seep into the insulation and support beams and cause serious structural damage—making your home extremely unsafe to live in.
Health and Safety
Aside from the physical damage, the dampness is a perfect environment for mold to grow. If you catch this quickly enough, a wash with soapy water will take care of it. You can also wipe it clean with a heavily diluted bleach solution. Just remember to dry it properly—otherwise, you leave a damp spot for the mold to grow again.
If you see black mold packed with dangerous spores, you should call a professional immediately to take care of it because untrained hands could disperse the spores, which can go up the nose and into the mouth—and start to wreak havoc on your body, and all the other people in the home.
Call Professionals to Address the Condensation’s Source
You can open all the windows you like and buy a dehumidifier to keep condensation at bay, but you should put inspection on your list of preventative measures. Windows will be the first to show you that condensation is taking its toll on your home.
Look for splitting or swelling in the frame and staining on the window sill, and if you see problems cropping up, contact a window installation specialist to replace the jamb, frame, or your entire window, and stop condensation on windows at night or day.
Contact us at 877-590-2741 at Euroline Steel Windows and Doors today!
