Condensation can still occur in double glazed homes

In an article in the Cumbrian based “News & Star” website entitled “How to Deal With Condensation” published on 19th September 2012 it addresses what it alludes to as to “the facts” about condensation.

According to the article “The Atlantic Ocean is a big place and there is a lot of sea between us and the east coast of the United States. The warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico send millions upon millions of gallons of water vapour high up into the atmosphere, carry it along the prevailing winds and dump it right here on the western side of the UK… and don’t we know it. It is probably due to this incessant cold and damp that makes us so sensitive to damp in our own homes. And for good reason too. It has long been known that black mould can be a killer. Anyone who has ever lived in a house with single glazing will be no stranger to condensation which can ruin window frames and leave the air feeling â€Ŕgrubby”.

“Most people are aware that fitting modern, energy efficient double glazing will improve the feel of warmth in your house. But will it stop the condensation? The most honest answer you are going to get is â€Ŕit should significantly reduce the condensation” and the reason why this is the best answer is because condensation has very little to do with energy efficiency. It has everything to do with the amount of moisture in the air.”

There is an awful lot of bogus information out there about condensation, and what causes it, as whilst certain materials within a building (or lack of them!) can contribute to making condensation worse, the three key things are inadequate 1) insulation, 2) heating and 3) ventilation, as even with the latest, most super duper triple glazing system, if any room is not fully insulated, properly heated and ventilated, condensation can still build up.  As the News & Star piece identifies “A single glazed window pane will be massively cooler than a double glazed on and therefore far more likely to cause condensation. But condensation will still occur if you have a dampness problem in your house. If you dry your washing indoors (perhaps on the radiators) you’d be amazed just how much water that throws up into the air. Some people forget to put the venting pipe from the tumble drier out of the window — they also leave the internal door open which will put lots of warm damp air into the rest of the house. You can cause the same problem by leaving the kitchen door open (the inside one) when you are cooking. If you like to boil a lot of spuds or pasta then you could be putting as much as half a pan of water into the air in your house. This will definitely cause a condensation problem with or without double glazing. You’ll get the same problem with the shower or bath.”

“If you have ticked off all these things but you are still having a problem then there may be a more structural problem. For example, you damp proof course may be due for renewal. Some older houses don’t contain air bricks and so the house isn’t correctly insulated. You should consult a building expert to see if this is an issue as the condensation may turn out to be the least of your worries.”

As the article quite rightly points out “The only time you should ever be concerned at seeing condensation on double glazing is if you see it occurring between the two glass panes. This should not happen unless the window is old. Eventually the super dry Argon gas that is carefully sealed into the double glazing unit, will leak away and at this point the double glazing is no longer working. As soon as you see this you should arrange for replacement windows.”