Condensation management
Almost every activity at home produces water vapor. Cooking, washing, and even breathing add moisture to the air. Normally, the air can absorb and hold this moisture. But what is condensation management and how do you reduce the problem in your home?
Moisture-rich air circulates around the house and exits through windows and doors. This usually happens without issues until the temperature difference between inside and outside increases. Drying laundry indoors, for example, adds more water vapor to the air. The water from your clothes doesn’t just disappear; it’s absorbed into the air.
In colder months, we keep windows and doors closed for longer, reducing air circulation. Our daily activities continue, adding more moisture to the air.
Condensation and Heating
Heating increases the amount of moisture the air can hold, but there’s a limit. With high energy prices, many delay turning on the heating. However, heating does more than just warm us.
A clear example is when you see steam after a bath or shower. The air has absorbed as much moisture as it can, and the excess becomes visible. This moisture often ends up on mirrors or tiles before clearing out. Similarly, daily activities produce moisture, leading to condensation during certain months.
How Does Condensation Form?
Condensation occurs when moisture-laden air contacts a cold surface and releases water onto it. It traditionally formed on window frames and glass where cold temperatures penetrated. Modern energy-efficient windows have reduced this issue, but airtight designs can increase condensation by limiting air flow. Older homes had chimneys and drafty windows that allowed better air circulation.
Modern Windows and Condensation
Modern windows and skylights are less prone to condensation, but today’s airtight homes can increase indoor moisture. Without heating, mold is more likely to grow in places like wardrobes and bedrooms. Two sleeping adults produce about 1 ½ pints of moisture in 8 hours. Without heating, this moisture condenses on cold surfaces.
A new house absorbs around 1500 gallons of water during construction, which dissipates into the indoor air. Heating and carpets help, but this still adds significant moisture, often seen as condensation.
Architects and manufacturers try to eliminate condensation, but our daily activities—cooking, bathing, drying clothes, using well-sealed windows and doors, and having no chimneys—increase the risk.
Managing Condensation
Condensation is a result of our living conditions, not the products we use. We must manage the moisture and address it when it occurs. Ignoring condensation can damage window frames, silicone, and rubbers. It can also cause mould in bathrooms and damage paintwork, curtains, and fittings over time.
Regular maintenance of windows and rooflights is essential. Removing water from bedroom windows in the morning, wiping bathroom tiles, and checking for damp or mold monthly can prevent damage.
Despite modern glazing, genuine steel-framed windows and conservation rooflights have a higher risk of condensation, especially in modern buildings. The Glass & Glazing Federation offers an information booklet on managing condensation.
Conclusion
Condensation results from how we live and the misconception that modern products need no maintenance. By understanding how condensation occurs, we can reduce its likelihood and care for our products when it does happen. Regularly clearing moisture will extend product life and prevent mold growth.
