For a while, I thought we’d managed to get away with it. A whole year with no winter! It seemed so easy - just endure 6 months of boring old autumn, then skip off early for a cheeky spring. Sadly, it seems winter was just running late.
As a thrifty spender, winter means more than just big coats and “oh no, this can of de-icer is as empty as it was yesterday”. Since we’re not blessed with triple glazed windows, all I can think of in winter is the slow, insistent incursion of that old enemy: condensation.
An occasional patch of condensation isn’t something to dwell on. But, if you’re waking up to streaming windows all over the house, mopping up pools from the sill and watching the wood swell, you might have a more serious issue afoot.
What causes condensation?
Get your science caps on!
Although it is possible to have warm, dehumidified air, as a general rule around your household warm air will carry a fair amount of moisture. When the air meets the cold surface of your window, the temperature tries to equalise. The window heats up and the air cools down as they try and make their union work – and in doing so, the moisture in the air condenses against the glass. The temperature at which the air will release moisture is called its “dew point”, which I only mention because it reminds me of spring. Hurry up Spring!
So what does that mean? Basically - the colder your windows, the warmer the air and the higher the moisture level, the more extensive the condensation will be.
So where does all the moisture come from?
Sadly, there’s no getting away from generating moisture. Simply occupying the house and breathing generates moisture! That isn’t just limited to animal life – the plant kingdom emanate moisture from their dastardly leaves, and most of the kitchen is dedicated to moisture generation (saucepans, kettles, dishwashers, fridges). Any damp clothes hanging to dry are adding to moisture levels, and don’t even get me started on the bathroom!
The effects of condensation on your home and family
The ramifications of condensation are more than just the inconvenience of having to wipe down your windows in the morning. Excessive moisture generated by condensation can quickly cause serious damage to the surround – the wallpaper, walls, curtains, window frames, window sills and any adjacent wood or fabric furniture. At best, you might get away with a bit of peeling wallpaper and some swollen window sills, but if unnoticed, these areas can quickly become a haven for moulds.
Mould spores in the air isn’t something you want, particularly if you have children, or anyone in the family has a respiratory condition.
If you’ve got some nagging condensation issues but never really thought about it before, you might want to consider taking some steps to tackle it permanently. Google around and you’ll find plenty of guides, tips, tricks and products for significantly reducing the issues. Keeping your home heated and trying to ventilate wherever possible to let moist air escape can make all the difference.
If you need a starting point, you can try this guide on dealing with it on the Eurocell website at.
