Making sure your house is well ventilated is one of the most important steps you can take to reduce condensation. This can easily be achieved by opening windows or window trickle vents to allow moist air to move out of the building lowering the chance of condensation occurring.
If you open your windows regularly to vent your home, you lower its moisture levels and make it less likely that condensation will form inside it.
Keep heating on constant
So to stop condensation from forming, keep your heating on a low setting throughout the colder months. Temperature fluctuations, especially the temperature plummeting around dawn, are very often responsible for condensation forming on windows.
So consider opening windows or trickle vents to ensure this wet air leaves your home. Close the internal kitchen door when cooking and keep a window open. Alternatively, install kitchen extractor fan or cooker hoods that ventilate damp condensation to the outside air.
According to the regulations, trickle vents are not mandatory on replacement windows unless the original windows have them. It is, however, good practice to install them as they improve air quality and reduce condensation.
The most common cause of ceiling condensation is an attic with too little insulation and ventilation. In an attic like this, wintertime ceiling condensation can form when cold air from the attic hits your warm ceiling. In summer, when the air conditioning is on, the reverse happens.
Dehumidifiers seem to be the obvious way of reducing humidity, removing condensation, stopping walls becoming damp and preventing mould. But a more effective solution is to give your home a small but consistent background movement of fresh air. This will help keep your home feeling fresher, healthier and mould free.
Removing condensation
For example, excess water can cause window seals to warp and loosen, while the excess damp can lead to mould and respiratory problems. Make a habit of removing window condensation first thing every morning — when it's at its worst.
Open Your Window
This might seem obvious, but it's effective. Opening your windows will release the humid air outside, and therefore, will prevent the humidity from collecting onto your windows. So, if it's not too cold out and you're suffering from condensation, open a window.
Condensation occurs when warm air collides with cold surfaces, or when there's too much humidity in your home. This is especially common in winter, when your central heating system comes on in the cooler hours of the mornings and evenings.
Window vents let the heat out
People feel the draught and close the vent or think the room loses its heat. The purpose of trickle ventilators is providing a consistent flow of fresh air. Any cooling of the internal temperature in winter from a trickle vent is marginal. Keep your trickle vents open.
Condensation on windows occurs because water vapour in the air deposits itself on surfaces that are at lower temperatures. When moist air comes into contact with the cold impermeable surface of your windows, it releases some of this moisture onto the glass as water droplets. This is condensation.
Just keeping your window open for a short amount of time each day can significantly reduce indoor pollution and bring fresh air inside to dilute any toxins. In winter, especially, air can become old and stale quickly, so you'll want to keep things fresh and clean.
To help with clearing the condensation away, you can make a simple, home-made solution by mixing two cups of water with two cups of white vinegar and a couple drops of washing up liquid. Pour this mixture into a spray bottle if you have one and spray the solution straight onto your window.
Once humidity levels in the home are brought down to below 60%, airborne bacteria and viruses will not only stop breeding, but will struggle to survive. To control heavier cases of condensation on windows, damp or mould, it is advisable to bring the humidity down to 40% during the winter months.
Improve air movement around areas prone to mould
Keep the door closed to stop the moist air going into other rooms. Put cold water in the bath before adding hot. If you have trickle vents* on your windows, keep them open. Don't over fill cupboards and shelves where mould tends to form.
Dehumidification requires use of a hose connected to the unit and run to a drain or capture container. It does not require venting to the outside to use this function.
Some habits increase the likelihood of condensation forming overnight. For instance, if you tend to dry clothes indoors during the night, that may be causing a build-up of moisture in your home. Similarly, if you sleep with a humidifier on, turning it down may reduce condensation.
It's likely caused by excessive moisture in the room from you breathing. The vapour condenses on the cold glass panes and forms condensation. To stop condensation on windows at night try keeping your bedroom door open to improve airflow and leaving your curtains open, or swapping for a thinner material.
Dehumidifiers alone can reduce condensation, but they won't stop it. In order to avoid condensation, a dehumidifier must operate in harmony with adequate indoor ventilation and sufficient air exchange with the outdoors.
Try to reduce the humidity level in the air near the air ducts. You can go for a dehumidifier if that helps to reduce the condensation. Unblock any ducts that are restricting airflow and have them cleaned regularly. Regularly clean your air filters and change them once every three months.
Moisture and insulation
Improperly installed insulation is one of the leading causes of condensation in the attic, especially when too much insulation traps warm air up near the roof and forces condensation.
Lower your thermostat to 66°-68° F. Be sure your clothes dryer is vented properly to the outside. Seal up any cracks around windows. Replace older single pane windows with double or triple pane vinyl ones (avoid metal window frames since they conduct cold), or add storm windows to the outside of your house.