Tips For Reducing Window Condensation During the Winter Months

If your home is sealed up nice and tight, you might find that there’s no place for the moisture in the air to go other than on your windows. Condensation can form on your windows and their frames, leading to mould, mildew and even rot. If you find yourself wiping down your windows during the winter months, try these tips to reduce the condensation and keep your home moisture-free.

Open the windows a little

This is the simplest way to solve the condensation problem. By allowing the warmer air a chance to escape, you send the moisture along with it. Of course, this pushes up your heating costs a little because as warm air leaves, cold air takes its place, but it will prevent condensation from damaging your windows, sills and walls.

Install proper ventilation

You can use exhaust fans and heat extractors to prevent the moisture from the air forming into condensation. Just make sure they are venting outside and not to other parts of your home or you will just be sending your moisture problems to a different part of your home.

Heat recovery ventilators, which are found in most new homes but may be lacking in your older one, exchange your warm air inside your house for cool, fresh air from outside. It heats the cold air to a comfortable temperature, eliminating the condensation problems and improving your energy efficiency.

Get new windows

If your windows are old and lack proper insulation, you might consider replacing them with newer energy efficient ones. Look for windows with a higher R-value because they are better at repelling humidity and condensation. Double and triple pane windows can greatly reduce and even eliminate your condensation problems as long as your home has the proper ventilation to allow the humidity to escape.