Certain Wiltshire & Oxfordshire householders will have dreaded the arrival of winter more so than others as it’s in the winter months when their windows most often suffer from condensation.
Condensation makes windows look very unsightly, inside and out, and the worst thing you can do with excess condensation is to ignore it as it could lead to damp and mould manifesting. Once damp and mould start to fester the risk of structural damage occurring increases and it’s more likely to have a negative impact on your health.
The prime cause of condensation is poor ventilation and poor heating, so that needs to be resolved somehow to stop water droplets forming on the glazed section of a window. It is much more prevalent in winter as the air floating around the inside of your house isn’t able to hold vapour as well when temperatures are cold.
To kill off condensation, take the following steps for water-less windows (that is unless the heavens ever open):
- After what was our coldest October in a decade, we experienced some unseasonably warm weather and if we receive any more mild days over the coming months you need to take advantage of them. When conditions allow, hang up your wet washing outside instead of chucking it in the tumble dryer as use of the latter causes a build-up of moisture.
- Before taking a hot shower or hot bath, open the bathroom window to let any warm air generated escape.
- Pushing your furniture right up against the walls won’t do you any favours as it’s important that air can circulate freely. When, for instance, installing a new sofa in your living room, leave a little gap between the settee and the relevant wall.
- Keep the lids on any pans you’re using to cook vegetables at dinnertimes so that the steam cannot escape.
- Upgrading from single glazed windows to double or triple glazed windows can lessen the problem. Just make sure that you ask your installer to include trickle vents in their design to help with ventilation.
If there’s anything else you want to know about condensation you will likely find out about it in our Helpful Guide on condensation. You can download a copy of it via the TWC website here.
