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During the winter, many people notice that the insides of their windows become moist with condensation or frost. In some cases, this moisture can be enough to cause mold, rot, and water damage to the areas around your windows. Find out what’s causing this condensation and whether you need window replacement in St. Paul to fix it. Why Condensation Forms All air contains a certain amount of moisture in the form of water vapor. Warmer air is able to hold more moisture than colder air. When the warm air in your house comes into contact with the cold glass of your windows, it is cooled significantly and is no longer able to hold so much moisture. Because the glass doesn’t allow moisture to pass through it, water collects on its surface in the form of condensation. Excess Humidity There are 3 main factors that contribute to significant condensation on your windows during the winter. The first is excess humidity in your home. By reducing the amount of water vapor in the air, you can decrease the amount that accumulates on your windows. Make sure appliances such as your dishwasher and clothes dryer are properly vented, or run a dehumidifier when they’re in use. Run the exhaust in your bathroom every time you take a shower, and let it keep running until the air feels back to normal. Poor Ventilation Many people are surprised to learn that newer, more energy efficient homes actually tend to have more of a condensation problem than older homes. That’s because the more tightly your home is sealed and insulated, the less ventilated it is. Water vapor isn’t able to escape through the cracks, so instead it becomes trapped in your house. To increase the ventilation in your home, it may help to crack open the windows for even a few minutes each day to let some of the excess humidity escape. You may also want to talk to your HVAC contractor about installing fans or other means of improving your home’s ventilation. Old Windows Old, single-paned windows are more prone to condensation than windows with 2 or 3 panes. That’s because with multiple panes of glass--as well as an extra layer of air--the inner pane is more protected from the temperature outside. Window replacement in St. Paul can also help prevent condensation if you replace your metal window frames with wood or vinyl, which are better insulators.
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