When condensation at home in the winter is a common phenomenon. Whether your property is old, or newly renovated, condensation may still appear. It is important to know that condensation can be happen anywhere in your home which is not as visible as on the window glass. Condensation can be an alarming signal that damage to other parts of your home may be occurring. In this guide, you will find a short explanation about the condensation at home phenomenon and how to solve it.
Definition
Condensation happens when water vapor comes in contact with cold surfaces and condenses to form dampness or water droplets. Water vapor is invisible in air. In fact, air can contain naturally an variable amount of water vapor; for instance, warm air carry more water vapor than cold air. When warm air comes into contact with a colder surface, it cools down and can not hold anymore the same amount of water vapor. A part of the water vapor is therefore converted back to water form, and water droplets start to be seen on the cold surface. That’s what we call condensation.
Modern homes are designed to be energy efficient. Better insulation, draughtproofing on doors, and sealed window units minimize droughts and stop heat from escaping from your home. But they also block water
vapor from escaping, which can increase the risk of condensation.
Causes
Optimal insulation for your property is a priority. But don’t lose sight of a good indoor aeration and air quality. That means that ventilation needs to be given particular attention. As a matter of fact, a bad ventilation for your property is responsible not only of damp problems, but also for a higher risk of an abnormally high concentration in carbon monoxyde CO.
Normal daily activities (such as taking showers and baths, washing and drying clothes, cooking and boiling kettles) release warm air containing a large amount of water vapor. If the warm air can’t escape through
an open window or air vent, it moves around until it finds a cold surface where it cools and forms condensation.
Houses and buildings that are heated intermittently are also more likely to suffer from condensation problems than homes that are heated continuously. This is because continuous heating keeps the surfaces of the rooms warm, which reduces the risk of condensation forming on them.
Condensation is most likely to appear on windows, colder parts of walls, around the external door and window openings, and where ceilings and floors meet with outer walls. It can also appear in areas where air
circulation is restricted, such as inside cupboards and behind furniture that is placed against an outside wall. If condensation keeps on occurring in one place, it can sometimes cause black mold growth.
Reducing condensation and moisture
Controlling indoor water vapor levels is important when living in modern, well insulated homes.
You will not probably prevent condensation completely, but you can keep it under control. The following steps will help you to solve the condensation problem at home.
– Put lids on saucepans when you cook to reduce the amount of steam. Also, use an extractor fan and/or open the kitchen window, and keep the door closed. Let the extractor fan and/or kitchen window open for 15-20 mn, while keeping the door still closed.
– Avoid drying laundry on a clothes airer or radiator. If you need to dry clothes indoors, open the windows and close the door of the room where the clothes are drying. Moisture can then escape outside rather than circulate around in your home. But it is not recommended to dry your clothes inside home, because each load of wash can contain between 3-6 liters of water.
– When you take a bath, keep the door closed. Activate also the air extraction fan and open the window if the outside temperature is not too cold.
– In case you see condensation droplets, wipe them away.
– If it’s possible even in cold weather, try to let the windows open for 5-10 mn several times a day. It will help to blow moisture away.
– Leave trickle vents (slotted vents in the window frames) open when your rooms are occupied – even in the winter when your heating is on. These vents provide constant ventilation which is crucial to move water vapor away.
– Keep your home warm enough to avoid cold surfaces. Remember that it can take time for the indoor space to warm up.
– If nobody is home during the day, set your central heating timer at the correct time to ensure that your home is warm when you’re back.
– When you are home, We recommend heating all rooms at a low temperature rather than heating some and others not. That’s because moisture move always inside home to the cooler space.
Conclusion
The best way to solve condensation problem at home is to reduce the humidity level in your home indoor air. That’s possible if you keep following the previous steps. However you have to determine the balance of ventilating the water vapor with the increased electricity consumption from running fans and opening windows, and heating correctly your house. We will give in near future a deeper overview about the condensation phenomenon and its possible impact on your house. Also more information about how to combine condensation prevention steps with energy efficiency.
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