Condensation in the house

MREGAN

Every winter I start to get a bit of condensation on the windows of the house. Its a fairly new house double glazed windows etc. I never thought much about it until now. I am having my first child and wonder if I should get a dehumidifier to take some of the moisture out of the air.

Its probably due to drying clothes indoors. I am just not sure which would be better for the baby a bit of moisture in the air or too dry a house. Any thoughts?

cbyrd

I wouldn't worry too much about it...just make sure you open the windows for a little while every morning..this gets rid of the condensation... it's the temperature change in winter that causes it.

Das Kitty

Unless there is mold, humid air is better for babies' respiration. Just make sure to open the windows for a little while to circulate some fresh air in.

cbyrd

If you do get mould round the window a beach solution will kill it

Khannie

Condensation is a breeding ground for mould. We've had some trouble with it (mould) recently because of it. Options for us include:

Dehumidifier (we're using one that we got a lend of having given the upstairs a thorough cleaning). My wife's not mad about it.
Improved air circulation upstairs by adding an external vent (I'm concerned about noise from drunken eejits going home on a Friday / Saturday night).
Keeping the windows open more.

None of these are ideal tbh. If you come up with something else please post it up.

How Strange

We have condensation in our apartment and have had terrible problems with mould and damp (and really hoping we've fixed them) but we have a dehumidifier in both bedrooms and we turn them on every day.

Outkast_IRE

How Strange wrote: »

We have condensation in our apartment and have had terrible problems with mould and damp (and really hoping we've fixed them) but we have a dehumidifier in both bedrooms and we turn them on every day.

If you need to use a dehumidifier every day then you havent fixed anything your just delaying the signs.

A question for the OP is there any Air vents on the windows that you can leave open ?

MREGAN

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

How Strange wrote: »

We have condensation in our apartment and have had terrible problems with mould and damp (and really hoping we've fixed them) but we have a dehumidifier in both bedrooms and we turn them on every day.

If you need to use a dehumidifier every day then you havent fixed anything your just delaying the signs.

A question for the OP is there any Air vents on the windows that you can leave open ?

Yeah the windows have small vents on the top.

Outkast_IRE

MREGAN wrote: »

Yeah the windows have small vents on the top.

And do you leave these open all the time ? They should help if left open.

newtothis2011

I would have said that condensation on the window was more annoying than harmfull. I have it on nearly all of my windows in the morning(my windows are 11 years old) though one bedroom window that was replaced 2 years ago is condensation free! I would suggest what most others have and leave your windows open a bit:)

carfiosaoorl

I moved into this house in April. I love it completely except for the condensation. As soon as we hit lower temps the windows are covered and the upstairs my bedroom in particular reeks of damp:( I am thinking of getting a dehumidifier and hope it helps but I also cant afford a huge electricity bill.
For those who use dehumidifiers does it add a lot to your bill?
Also to Khannie why does your wife not like it tia.

Lantus

carfiosaoorl wrote: »

I moved into this house in April. I love it completely except for the condensation. As soon as we hit lower temps the windows are covered and the upstairs my bedroom in particular reeks of damp:( I am thinking of getting a dehumidifier and hope it helps but I also cant afford a huge electricity bill.
For those who use dehumidifiers does it add a lot to your bill?
Also to Khannie why does your wife not like it tia.

condensation is more of an issue in modern society because we spend so much more time in our homes. It's basically warm & moist air hitting a cold surface. The moisture 'condenses out' as the air cools down.

we breath out warm moist air. windows are cold, more so in winter.

adding vents adds a lot to heating bills. not ideal. processes like cooking, showers, baths, having a lot of people around, washing up, using a tumble dryer all can contrubute towards excessive condensation.

use windows and extractors when doing any of the above if they are not ducted directly to outside helps a lot.

try to get some 'fresh' air in during the day for short periods. Use high level window vents if temperatures allow.

condensation on widows when you get up is typically normal in all but the best housing designs. it should go during the day or if you ventilate a little. Mould growth on plastic isn't a worry. occasional wiping as with any surface. Mould growth on walls, ceilings, floors is an issue, seek professional advice.

Khannie

It does make the air very dry (I know...I know!). I don't think Paddy's are used to that. She says she can feel it in her throat. It's hard to quantify.

I have no problem with it myself and she does use it when the air upstairs gets damp. Can't say I know how it affects the electricity bill.

planetX

Do you have aluminium window frames? They make much more condensation than pvc ones. I have the same problem with an aluminium door, it gets mouldy all around it and has to be bleached constantly.