After an almost tropical end to February, temperatures have dipped again which will come as a bitter blow to householders who are fed up of waking up to wet windows this winter, namely excess condensation.
It can make the prettiest of windows look really unsightly and when left untreated it can cause damp and mould to develop. Once damp and mould set in, a window can eventually suffer structural damage and it can even have implications on your health.
Where does it come from and why is it so prevalent at this time of the year?
Condensation is the result of insufficient ventilation and insufficient heating in the home. It is far more likely to occur during the winter months as the floating air within your property struggles to hold vapour in cold temperatures.
Until you get your ventilation and heating right you can expect to continue seeing those pesky water droplets on your glazing first thing every morning.
To reduce the likelihood of condensation occurring, take the following steps:
- The weather will pick up soon and whenever it’s warm enough outside dry any clothing on your washing line, rather than chuck it in your tumble dryer as that will cause moisture to build-up.
- Prior to running a hot bath or taking a hot shower, open a window in the bathroom to let the hot air escape.
- Rearrange your furniture so that your sofa isn’t pushed right up against a wall as that traps air and stops it from circulating properly. You need to leave a gap between the walls and any surrounding furniture.
- When cooking vegetables in a set of pans leave the lids on the pans so that none of the steam can escape.
- Replace your old single windows for the latest double or triple glazed windows as they will minimise condensation. The addition of trickle vents to their design will also aid with ventilation.
If you go to our Helpful Guides page you will see that we have written a document about condensation full of other helpful tips to stop it from being such a problem. It’s FREE to download.
