How to Stop Condensation on Windows in Your Home

All homes may occasionally have interior condensation on windows, Window condensation

can potentially cause damaging problems in your home including paint, drywall

damage, frame rot and even black mold in some cases. This can potentially create costly

repairs and in some cases an unhealthy environment.

Condensation occurs when warm, moisture-laden air comes into contact with a colder

surface such as glass. The air temperature in contact with the colder surface suddenly

drops, reducing the amount of moisture it can hold. This results in moisture formation, or

condensation, occurring on the cold surface. Think of it as pouring yourself a cold glass

of ice water and setting that glass on the table. After a few minutes condensation forms

on the glass dripping down onto the table. This is the same scenario as an inefficient

window.

One major factor which causes condensation on windows is having the blinds drawn

closed for long periods of time. This traps the warm air and doesn’t allow any air

circulation against the glass which in turn creates condensation. It’s always a good idea

to keep your blinds open as much as possible and make sure that the floor registers

near the windows are open and free of obstruction. This will allow more circulation onto

the cooler glass which will help reduce the condensation.

Another major factor in a home that creates condensation is having a high level of

relative humidity in the air. There are many things that can contribute to high levels of humidity; cooking, showers, humidifiers and even having a large family all are factors in producing humidity in the inside air of your home. The recommended humidity level for Dual Pane glass with a fresh air temperature of -10 degrees Celsius outside is 45% humidity. At minus 20 degrees outside it’s 35% recommended Humidity and -30 degrees is a 25% humidity level. As you can see, the colder it is outside, the less humidity is recommended to

avoid condensation problems from arising. Turning down the humidifier and consistently

using the exhaust fans in the bathrooms and kitchen areas will help dramatically.

In saying that, the other factor in this scenario is the quality of the windows and glass.

Older homes may have single pane windows or have frames and glass with low performance and R-Values and because of this, the glass has a much colder inner glass surface which creates condensation more quickly.

Now, if condensation continues after trying a few of the suggestions above, you may

have to consider replacement. There’s two ways that we can achieve this. Firstly, if the

windows frames will allow just replacing the glass to high performance glass, this is the

less expensive route and less intrusive. We would recommend replacing glass with a

minimum Dual pane with Two coats of Low E and argon gas filled between the panes.

This will almost triple the efficiency and warmth of the old glass reducing or eliminating

the condensation. There’s also a possibility, if the frames allow it, to install Triple Pane

glass which will maximize the warmth and efficiency as well which eliminate any

condensation concerns.

Secondly, is to replace the entire window and frame. This will achieve the maximize

energy efficiency and eliminate the condensation issues. This allows us to properly

spray foam insulate around the frames creating a much warmer frame and seal.

Replacing the entire frame also allows us to install Triple Pane glass with two or three

coats of Low E and argon gas filled. We can Reach R Values of up to R9. Replacing

the entire frame also means new weather seals and, the new technology applied to

manufacturing the newest frames and glass, creates the maximum possible efficiency.

Even if you aren’t experiencing condensation, upgrading your windows to our high energy

efficient windows will create a much warmer home in the winter and cooler in the

summer. This will greatly reduce heating and air conditioning costs.

Red Deer Windows and Doors would be happy to come to your home and give you our

expert opinion on the ways to eliminate condensation and create a much more efficient

and comfortable home year-round.

Call us at 403.348.6433 to book an appointment today!