Preventing Window Condensation

Have you ever gotten up in the morning opened the blinds only to find your window covered in condensation?  This is a frustrating and potentially damaging sight for homeowners.  The summer and winter months are the worst time for window condensation.  With a few helpful hints you can be on your way to eliminating it!

New construction.  We want our homes to be energy efficient so they are built with better building practices sealing up gaps and leaks.  There are lots of benefits to a tightly sealed home.  You can keep your home cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter using less energy.  Lower bills and higher efficiency are a good thing.  But creating an air tight home also means more moisture gets trapped inside of your house.

Existing homes.  Homes built before the 1960s weren’t built with the same air tight standards.  They don’t have the same insulation or vapor barriers meaning the building releases more built up moisture. These houses tend to have fewer condensation issues. Of course it also means higher heating and cooling bills!

The humidity problem.  Humidity measures the amount of moisture in the air in your home.  We create moisture in the air during every day activities.  Taking your shower and doing laundry can up the level of humidity in your home.

The causes of condensation.   Condensation on a window occurs when the surface of the window is cooler than the dew point temperature of air in contact with the window. Condensation results from a combination of surface temperature and moisture in the air. 

Summer and wintertime are the most common times for window condensation to be a problem.  This is because this is when the temperatures vary the most greatly from inside and out.  In the summer condensation will form on the outside of the window, and in the winter condensation will form on the inside. 

Winter condensation occurring on the inside of your window should be the biggest concern to a homeowner.  This condensation does much more than block a view.  It can sit on your window and surrounding wood or drywall.  This can lead to problems with your paint, mold growth, and even decay.

Preventing condensation.  You need to take one of two, or better yet both, steps.  The first involves upgrading your windows, the second is controlling the level of humidity in your home.

Bring on the energy efficient windows.  Energy efficient windows will reduce the condensation you experience.  Why is this?  Super efficient high performance windows lead to the inside glass surface temperatures being much closer to the room’s air temperature.  Windows that have three or more layers of insulation have almost no condensation problems even when it is very very cold.  Consider a Minneapolis roofing company for this work.  Make certain the company you choose specializes not only in roofs, but home exteriors.

Consult a Minneapolis roofing company about adding storm windows if you do not have them.  Storm windows are important to have in a northern climate.

Limiting your humidity.  When it is practical open a window in your home to allow for moisture to escape.  Opening a window while showering in addition to running an exhaust fan allows excess moisture to escape and not build in your home.  Exhaust fans are your friend.  Keep them running in your kitchen and bathrooms even after you have finished cooking and showering, this extra time clears out the extra moisture. 

You want air to flow against the windows so open up blinds and drapes.  And run any dehumidifiers you own!

In two straightforward steps you could cut down or eliminate your condensation problems.  First get your humidity under control.  Now that you know where it’s coming from find ways to stop it from hanging around.  Then find a Minneapolis roofing company specializing in exteriors to replace your windows with energy efficient windows.