How to fix window condensation?

[Kris_H]

How to stop condensation leaks in windows? We just moved to our “new” home and the windows are old. The condensation is just dripping water on the inside of the window sills daily causing mould in some windows around the house. What’s the best economical way to sort this without doing a whole window frame upgrade? 

[Dave-1]

Afternoon @Kris_H 

Welcome to the community You will find lots of discussionon things like this in here

Condensation is formed from it being colder outside then inside and the humidity being higher inside.

Some things that cause condenstaion-

-heaters, especially gas heaters

-breathing

-Cooking

We were just talking about this at work the other day. The best way I have found to combat the buildup of moisture levels is to go around in the morning and wipe down all the windows, it removes the moisture so there is less the next night is my way of thinking. It does seem to follow the pattern.

You can hang heavy rubber backed curtains to capture the air between the window and the room. You will have less condensation then. The roller blind you have on the window wont do a lot to insulate between the glass and the interior of the room (just noticed the blind now)

Dave

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Kris_H. It's sensational to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about reducing window condensation.

As @Dave-1 mentioned, installing heavy curtains to prevent the warm, saturated air within the room from contacting the glass is one way to minimise the effect. The other is to allow airflow from outside into the room during the night, which obviously, given temperatures, isn't something most would want to do.

Don't feel like you're alone, as this is a common occurrence in many homes. Same as @Dave-1, I'm wiping my windows down every morning. I also open them up in the morning to allow airflow during the day.

Using a dehumidifier could potentially help reduce the issue by removing moisture from the air.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell
 

[shaneaoz]

Hey @Kris_H ,

Very common problem at the moment, the nights are cold and lots of people running heaters which makes the condensation build up. @Dave-1 and @MitchellMc  have some good solutions with trying to get the temperature difference less extreme, but if you're looking for a product to use I recommend something similar to Damprid.

https://www.bunnings.com.au/dampfree-300g-disposable-moisture-absorbers-2-pack_p0480959

They are containers you can place on the windowsill that have crystals in them that draw in moisture and then to water. Once it's full, you just dispose of the liquid and can refill the crystals (you can buy 3kg bags of the crystals to top up as frequently as you like). 

It didn't completely remove the condensation, but we noticed it reduce significantly and then a cloth could wipe up the last of it to prevent any mould.

Could be worth a try.

Cheers,

Shane.

[EricL]

Hello @Kris_H 

It's great that you've received excellent advice from our members. Just to add to the suggestions made, I recommend closing the doors of the heavy moisture areas such as the laundry and shower rooms in the evening. If your family have their showers late in the afternoon or evening, make sure to have your exhaust fan to full. This will prevent the moisture from travelling back into the house.

For efficient moisture reduction, I propose investing in a Ausclimate 35L Large Dehumidifier. It has a 6L holding tanks and can cover an area of 125 square meters.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric