Condensation nightmare

[matthewgordon]

Hi all,

I’m after some advice and guidance on my condensation nightmare as I’m starting to worry it might make my kids ill. We live in a 3 bedroom house, 2 kids in one room and two adults in another with the spare free. Every morning we wake up to condensation on all the windows, including the spare room. This condensation totally covers the entire window and leaks onto the windowsill. I have done a bit of reading and tried the following:

Leaving the heating on a constant temperature all night
Leaving the heating off
Putting the radiators on a low/medium/high setting
Leaving the smaller windows ajar all night
Buying a dehumidifier and using it before we go to bed
Leaving the bathroom door closed when having baths/showers. We then leave the window open to clear the bathroom
Leaving all doors open on bedrooms to better ventilation

I have also tried pretty much every possible combination of the above with no results.

I’ve been at this for 3 years now and I’m a beaten man. I walk up and down my street as all the houses and windows are similar and we are the only ones with the issue.

Has anyone got a idea for a new direction on this task?

I appreciate your help

Thanks

 

[Lower]

What sort of windows have you got?

Why do you think condensation on the windows will make your kids ill?

To get rid of the condensation you need either better ventilation to take the moisture laden air away or remove the cold spots that the moisture condenses on.

So, double glazing might help, or opening the windows a bit more to get more air into the rooms.

Two people in a room exhale quite a bit of water during the night.

 

[matthewgordon]

Cheers for this.

I have double glazed throughout the house.

Im thinking the mould cuased by the water might get airbourn and make the kids ill?

Ive tried opening the windows fully... having them open a little and also hgaving them closed.. same situation. Although I appreciate the problem is to do with ventilation.

Its just wierd how I get it so bad and my nieghbour... who has the same house... same windows.. same amount of people in the house... doesnt have a problem.

Dam you condensation!

Thanks again

 

[Reparatiitermopane]

Condensation is verry bad for us. If have this problem in your house, this house is sick.

 

[Richard C]

How old is the house? Is it terrace/semi/detached? What sort of walls do you have, solid or cavity? Do you have extract fans in your bath/shower/utility/kitchen rooms? Do you dry washing in the house? Do you have trickle vents in the DG windows?

Edit; do you have any curtains on the windows? How old are the DG windows?

 

[Richard C]

Condensation is verry bad for us. If have this problem in your house, this house is sick.

Don't be a prat; if you can't offer constructive advice, please don't bother or better to post General

 

[Reparatiitermopane]

Richard, condensation = mold, fungus and all sorts of bacteria. Yet they inhaled, can be found in our lungs. I think with a humidity control device, all problems disappear. If wrong, please correct me.

 

[Richard C]

Richard, condensation = mold, fungus and all sorts of bacteria. Yet they inhaled, can be found in our lungs. I think with a humidity control device, all problems disappear. If wrong, please correct me.

I do not disagree at all & thats a much better post than "your house is sick"

 

[The Bullet]

you could try replacing 1 of the glass units with low e glass, argon filled with warm edged spacer for maximum performance. This should certainly make a big difference, albeit a bit costly if you can't do it yourself. I've changed a houseful recently that had the exact same problem you have had and it completely eliminated the condensation from the inside.

 

[foxhole]

Your posts seem to suggest you have no permanent ventilation?
You will probably find your neighbour has, and extract fans in kitchen and bathroom as Richard C questions.

 

[stevethejoiner]

You appear to know what to do as a balance between ventilation and heat is the way to go, but for some reason its not worked.

When you say you have left the heating on at a constant temp at night and left small windows ajar at night, have you done both at the same time?
sounds crazy, but heating on constant at a low temp with air changes through ventilation at the same time will stop condensation. It's just expensive to do.

I don't wish to teach you to suck eggs but warm air will absorb and hold the moisture, so it is that warm humid air you have to get rid of.

Also what type of heating do you have?
Do you ever use LPG as that is very bad for condensation,
Does the house get cold quickly when the heating goes off.
Is your house generally cold? Do the walls feel cold to touch?
What is the type of construction, solid brick, or cavity.
Is the floor uninsulated?
And how well is your house insulated generally? Can you improve on insulation to keep the house at a more constant temp rather than having high fluctuations from day and night.

Buy a greenhouse type thermometer to monitor high and low temp. Record those temperatures for a couple of weeks, I think you will be surprised how varied it is, which is bad for condensation, and you will know if your heat/ventilation protocol is working.

Good luck, Steve.

 

[big-all]

are you drying washing internally are you leaving doors open when showering cooking bathing
is your house in general open plan or doors seldom closed
in general hot air rises with up stairs rooms being heated less the hot moist air rises and condenses on the coolest area

 

[matthewgordon]

you could try replacing 1 of the glass units with low e glass, argon filled with warm edged spacer for maximum performance. This should certainly make a big difference, albeit a bit costly if you can't do it yourself. I've changed a houseful recently that had the exact same problem you have had and it completely eliminated the condensation from the inside.

Great stuff..

Thanks for this

 

[matthewgordon]

Your posts seem to suggest you have no permanent ventilation?
You will probably find your neighbour has, and extract fans in kitchen and bathroom as Richard C questions.

Yes ventilation seems to be a big issue.

We have extractors in the bathroom and kitchen and toilets. But it still feels humid upstairs.

What other extraction do you recommened. Its getting impossible to leave the windows open as everyone is freezing... Ive had complaints! haha

Cheers

 

[matthewgordon]

You appear to know what to do as a balance between ventilation and heat is the way to go, but for some reason its not worked.

When you say you have left the heating on at a constant temp at night and left small windows ajar at night, have you done both at the same time?
sounds crazy, but heating on constant at a low temp with air changes through ventilation at the same time will stop condensation. It's just expensive to do.

I don't wish to teach you to suck eggs but warm air will absorb and hold the moisture, so it is that warm humid air you have to get rid of.

Also what type of heating do you have?
Do you ever use LPG as that is very bad for condensation,
Does the house get cold quickly when the heating goes off.
Is your house generally cold? Do the walls feel cold to touch?
What is the type of construction, solid brick, or cavity.
Is the floor uninsulated?
And how well is your house insulated generally? Can you improve on insulation to keep the house at a more constant temp rather than having high fluctuations from day and night.

Buy a greenhouse type thermometer to monitor high and low temp. Record those temperatures for a couple of weeks, I think you will be surprised how varied it is, which is bad for condensation, and you will know if your heat/ventilation protocol is working.

Good luck, Steve.

Nicely put...

I have tried with both yes... and had some success but still have the issue.

lets see if I can answer the rest:

Also what type of heating do you have? - central heating combi boiler
Do you ever use LPG as that is very bad for condensation - nope
Does the house get cold quickly when the heating goes off - Not sure... it doesnt go cold straight away.
Is your house generally cold? Do the walls feel cold to touch? - The corner outside walls do... in places.
What is the type of construction, solid brick, or cavity - solid brick
Is the floor uninsulated? - loft is... other floors arent
And how well is your house insulated generally? Can you improve on insulation to keep the house at a more constant temp rather than having high fluctuations from day and night - im looking into this. Will this pack the house too tight and increase humidity?

Cheers for this