Condensation

Today’s energy-efficient homes are built more airtight than ever. But in addition to sealing in warmth and air conditioning, they also tend to hold in too much moisture-laden air.

If your home contains excessive moisture and it’s cold outside, the first place you’ll see it is on your windows. You may think this means there’s a problem with your windows, but it doesn’t. In fact, the vast majority of window condensation problems are not the result of faulty windows. The windows are just indicating that your home needs added ventilation to lower the amount of moisture in the air.
 
Where does all the moisture come from? 


In a word, everywhere.

• In the kitchen, moisture is generated by cooking food, using the sink and dishwasher.
• In the bathroom, from showers, hot tubs and spas.
• Washers and indoor-vented dryers contribute as well.
• Basements and crawl spaces can channel dampness from the ground into your home.
• Even breathing and perspiration add moisture to indoor air.

Collectively, a family of four can easily generate up to 18 gallons of water a week in the form of humidity inside your home.
How can you get rid of excessive moisture?

To lower your home’s humidity levels, you need to increase ventilation and decrease the sources of moisture.

• Make sure you have good ventilation in high-humidity areas.
• If you already have adequate exhaust fans and dehumidifiers in these areas, try running them for longer periods of time.
• Take shorter showers and install water-restricting faucets - you’ll lower the humidity and your energy bills as well.
• Cook a little differently. Keep pots and pans covered to hold moisture in. Use your microwave instead of boiling on the stove. Slow-cooking crock pots are energy-efficient and moisture- efficient, too.
• Check and reroute drainage away from your home, to minimize the moisture in and around your basement and foundation.

What else can you do to lower excessive indoor moisture levels?

The basic principle of reducing window condensation is simple. When there’s too much condensation on your windows it means the humidity is too high in your home for the current condition outside.

Here are some additional actions that may help reduce excessive humidity levels:
• Open your windows occasionally to vent excess moisture.
• If the condensation is on the storm window, open it periodically to vent excess moisture.
• Open drapes and blinds to allow warm house air to circulate against the window.
• Turn off your furnace humidifier or other home humidifiers.
• Make sure dehumidifiers are working properly and well drained.
• Be sure that louvers in the attic or basement crawl space are open and are of adequate size.
• Run ventilating fans in the kitchen and bathrooms more often.
• Air out your house by opening a door or window for a few minutes after the bathroom, kitchen or laundry has steamed up.

     

Preventing injuries to babies and toddlers from windows/glass doors
Over 400 injuries to children each year are caused by windows and glass doors yet with a few innovative safety products you can help prevent accidents happening to your tots. These simple precautions can help to keep your child safe and secure from injury by a window or glass door.
Falls from windows and doors
Around 10 children a year die because of a fall from a window and many more suffer serious injuries. Move beds, cots and any furniture away from a window. Furniture can act as climbing frame giving your child access to a window.
During the summer, or when you need to ventilate your home, windows or patio doors will need to be opened but this presents a real danger to your infant. Window locks restrict the space a window can open giving your home plenty of fresh air but keeping your Other top tips for window and glass safety
- Always supervise children closely when they are near windows or glass doors
- Don’t allow children to play near windows or glass doors even when they are shut
- Should a particular window or door in your home be a specific hazard, consider soft landscaping or    padding underneath to cushion any fall should it occur
- Install windows that open at the top rather than the bottom
- Place stickers on patio doors so the glass is visible when the door is closed
- Keep furniture away from windows
-Should glass be broken, clear it up immediately and secure the opening to prevent any further injuries or falls
 little one safe from a fall.

General advice for all makes and types.
 
Do not use oil to lubricate squeaky hinges (or any nylon moving parts), use a furniture aerosol wax spray instead, which contains silicone.
 
Once a year clean and light oil visible moving metal parts, particularly door locks and 'friction stay' window hinges.
 
Never allow the use of washing up liquid in the water when your windows are cleaned - it attacks and degrades the seals.
 
Use a generous squirt of cream cleanser in warm water to spring clean white PVC-U, (no abrasives should be used on woodgrain).
 
Keep sliding Patio Door tracks brushed clean of mud, grit and dust. Do not lubricate the track.
 
Make sure there is a key in each room for undoing security-locking windows in the event of an emergency.
Tip on cleaning silver aluminium: use 'Solvol Autosol' aluminium polish, from motor accessory shops.

Tip on repairing damaged white aluminium: I use 'Humbrol' white as a touch-up paint, it's just right.