Concerns Over Condensation? There’s Nothing to Worry About!
Many of the phone calls and emails we receive at this time of the year come from recent customers who get in touch to inform us that their brand new double glazed windows are suffering from condensation at certain times of the day.
People most associate condensation with old and thermally inefficient single glazed windows, rather than replacement double glazed windows so we can easily understand their concern.
However, it is actually a myth that double glazed windows totally eliminate condensation and when it occurs there really isn’t anything you need to worry about.
The energy efficiency provided by double glazed windows far exceeds that of a single glazed equivalent, of that there is no absolutely doubt. But condensation CANNOT be eradicated, it can only be reduced, and that is the effect that double glazing has and hence why it is still worth your investment.
Condensation manifests itself in many different ways as outlined below:
- Each time you cook food in your home a certain amount of steam will be generated which then transforms into water vapour
- Whilst your new home was being built it will have been exposed to the elements during certain points of the construction process and may therefore have retained some moisture
- Moisture is produced by heating systems and tumble dryers
- Each of us produces several litres of water vapour when breathing whilst sleeping.
It’s estimated that around 20%+ of heat loss in the home occurs due to the presence of ageing single glazed windows which are incapable of effectively retaining warmth and preventing cold air from passing through. Substituting them for double glazed windows will significantly lower this percentage but will never eradicate it completely which is why condensation still sometimes forms on the outside and/or inside of the glass.
We reiterate that condensation isn’t a serious issue, the only time you should be concerned is if the inside of the window mists up (in between the two internal surfaces of the glass) as this indicates that there is a fault.
The only advice we can give you to keep condensation at bay is to make sure that you ventilate your home thoroughly, even during the winter months.