During the cold winter months, condensation is a serious issue in homes across the UK. Not only does condensation look unsightly, it can be incredibly damaging to your windows, windowsills and furnishings.
Learning how to deal with condensation properly will help you to protect your property and ensure your windows last as long as possible. Keep reading to find out more.
What causes condensation?
Before you can begin to tackle condensation in your home, you need to understand what causes the issue. As @envirovent explains, ”Condensation on windows occurs because water vapour in the air deposits itself on surfaces that are at lower temperatures.”
During the winter months, the glass in your windows is a lot colder than the air in your home. This causes water that’s present in the air to collect on the glass and form condensation.
Open a window
One of the simplest ways to reduce condensation is to open a window. Ventilating your home in the winter months will help to release the warm, moist air trapped in your property and reduce the amount of condensation you experience. Opening the bathroom window after a shower, or bedroom windows in the morning, are two good ways to minimise condensation in your home.
Control humidity
If it’s just too cold outside to open a window, you can ventilate your home in other ways. Installing a fan in your bathroom can help to remove moist air from the space after a shower. You should also try to keep your bathroom door closed so that damp air doesn’t get into the rest of your home.
In the kitchen, you can reduce condensation by installing an extractor hood over your hob. Turning this on while you’re cooking should help to remove moisture before it has a chance to cause an issue.
Double glazing
Many people wrongly believe that double glazing causes condensation. This myth has largely come about because double glazed windows get rid of draughts and so reduce unwanted ventilation in the home. This can cause an increase in the amount of condensation you experience.
However, if fans are installed, and windows open whenever possible, double glazed windows are no worse at causing condensation than single glazed versions. In fact, as the interior pane of glass is generally warmer than the exterior pane, they can actually help to reduce levels of condensation in the home.
Get a dehumidifier
If opening your windows and installing fans hasn’t worked, you could consider getting a dehumidifier. These handy appliances help to remove moisture from the air before it can condense on your windows. Running your dehumidifier for a few hours every day could help to dramatically reduce the amount of condensation you experience in your home.
If you think your home could benefit from new double glazed windows, or if you’d like to find out more about the products we offer, explore our site or talk to an expert member of our team today.