Fighting Window Moisture: What You Should Know

Part 1: The Problem with Excessive Window Moisture

As a homeowner, you have the responsibility to stay one step ahead of problems that might arise in your home. One of these is window moisture. The issue is common and can manifest in any type of window but mostly affects older windows that have failing components. It is necessary to address excessive window moisture because it can lead to other problems for your home.

What causes excessive window moisture in the first place?

It’s possible for moisture from the outside to penetrate through a window and accumulate. There may be different factors at play but moisture generally seeps through a window because of its old age, with seals no longer effective due to regular wear and tear. Sometimes, newer windows can also be prone to accumulating moisture if they have been accidentally damaged, improperly installed or made of poor quality to begin with.

If it’s not the window itself that is causing excessive moisture to form, another possible culprit is having inadequate ventilation in your home. Various day-to-day tasks produce moisture in the air, like cooking and doing the laundry. Without sufficient ventilation, moisture builds up in the air. When the air comes into contact with a colder surface, condensation manifests and accumulates. If you’re seeing water drops form on your window and it’s not raining, it’s highly likely that you’re dealing with a lot of condensation. Introducing proper ventilation promotes ideal levels of humidity in your home, preventing moisture from not just accumulating in the air but being absorbed by your house as well, only to be sweated out at a different time.

The problem with excessive window moisture

A window is made to last but it won’t last as long as it’s supposed to if it’s always steeped in moisture. This can compromise a window’s structure, affecting not just how long a window lasts but its overall performance as well. Aside from window problems though, excessive moisture in your home can also promote the growth of mold, which is detrimental to the health of your family.

Did you know?

Condensation occurs naturally under extreme temperatures, manifesting on the warmer side of a window. This means during winter, condensation is observed on the outer side of a window while moisture should be evident on a window’s inner side during the summer months.
Windows are affected by excessive moisture but thankfully technologies are now in place to protect them. Head on over to the next part of this blog series to learn more.

Part 2: Protecting Against Moisture – Window Technologies Today

While they are commonly where condensation is observed, windows are not usually the cause of the problem. They do, however, contribute to conditions ideal for creating excessive moisture in a home, and, as such, can also be considered as contributors to the solution.

How do modern windows help prevent excessive moisture formation?

At the heart of preventing excessive moisture from building up is reducing humidity levels in a home. There are various ways to go about this but windows specifically can help thanks to certain technologies in place. These improve a window’s overall function, aiding in keeping humidity at bay. These technologies include:

• Glazing. This refers to the number of panes or layers of glass a window has. As such, a double-glazed window will have two panes or two layers of glass. Many manufacturers have adopted double-glazed windows as their standard offering because these offer better insulation than their single-glazed counterparts. Triple-glazed windows are also available but many homes find their needs addressed by double-glazed options.
• Seals. High-performance windows are made with top-grade airtight seals. Aside from sealing off spaces along the sides of a window to prevent air leaks, seals also keep gas fills in place in between panes for optimum thermal performance. Moisture is typically observed between glazing when window seals have worn off due to age-related wear and tear or accidental damage to the seal.
• Frames. In the past, metallic frames were standard in windows. They were strong and durable but they promote heat transfer, allowing indoor heat out and outdoor heat in. Newer windows today enjoy better thermal performance thanks to composite material. Unlike metal frames, those made of composite material limit heat transfer, providing a home with better insulation.

How do these come together to keep humidity levels down?

By incorporating different technologies in their products, window manufacturers are able to guarantee quality. Quality windows work properly, meaning they perform as they should. Bringing humidity levels down requires increased heating (from dry heat). Proper windows ensure heating requirements are met by stabilizing indoor conditions and preventing heat loss.

Part 3: Protecting Your Home Against Moisture Damage

Moisture problem in windows may be common, but they are not unavoidable. There are things you can do to protect your home and what’s even better is that the tasks are not difficult to carry out. In fact, even just employing regular maintenance and routine TLC will go a long way towards keeping your home in top condition.

Prevention is Key

When it comes to protecting against excessive moisture, it is important to keep in mind that prevention is key. You may have newer windows, for instance, that have been improved to reduce, if not prevent, the likelihood of condensation forming on their surface but don’t forget that external factors can still come into play. To prevent excessive moisture from taking hold of your home, here are some measures you can take:

• Check your ventilation. Again, ventilation is crucial in keeping moisture at bay because it can greatly influence humidity levels. Take note that the ideal relative humidity you should be aiming for is below 40%. This is the level of humidity in your home that you can allow without affecting the health of your family.
• Use mechanical ventilation. In areas where certain activities contribute a lot to making your home more humid, you can use mechanical ventilation to help direct moist air out. This is best for bathrooms and kitchens where air may not be able to flow out without help.
• Use the right settings for a heat recovery ventilator. If you own one, check if you’re using the right settings. Heat recovery ventilators can recirculate more than they should, increasing moisture in the air instead of working to keep humidity levels down.
• Consider window replacement. Your windows might be too worn out to function properly and that’s contributing to an imbalance in humidity in your home.

Facing the Moisture Problem

The first step towards solving a problem is acknowledging that a problem exists in the first place. If you’re not sure, don’t hesitate to get in touch with a local contractor to help you figure things out. They’ll know what to look for so they’ll be able to tell you immediately if you’re dealing with excessive moisture. If you are, act quickly to address the problem as soon as possible.