Are aluminium windows the cause of our condensation problem?

[barrybarryr]

Hi,

My girlfriend and I bought our first house in April. It is a 2 up 2 down end of terraced house built in 1996.

It has aluminium double glazed windows which have been in the house since it was built. We are getting severe condensation on them each night, but only on the upstairs windows in each room (bedroom, spare bedroom that nobody sleeps in and bathroom).

This didn't happen in the summer, but now the temperature has dropped the windows are fogging up with water on them which is then going all over the window ledge. Black mould is also forming in the corners of each window, presumably because of this water.

When you touch the aluminium frame it is really cold and we were wondering if it is the windows that are causing the problem. There is no mould anywhere downstairs.

We genuinely don't know how to fix this condensation problem or who to see about getting it fixed. I have looked at all of the websites which say you need to reduce water content in each room which we have done to an extent.

I.e, we open the windows when cooking and having a shower, all the vents are open, we keep the heating on a low temperature overnight to ensure it stops etc etc etc.

The only thing we have to do is dry clothes in the spare room which I know isn't ideal, but the condensation happens even if we haven't had clothes in there for a fortnight.

Instinctively my first idea is to get new double glazed windows but I have no idea if this will fix it. Obviously we don't want to spend a few thousand pounds on something that wont fix it.

Does anyone have any ideas? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

Barry

 

[Passepartout]

Since heat rises (or to be more precise the warmer less dense moist air is lighter per cubic metre than cold air and thus is pushed upwards via tha act of gravity on the colder air), it explains why the majority of the condensation tends to happen upstairs. Add into this the factor that you tend to walk around more downstairs and open doors etc which creates turbulence and means of cross-draughtts, and you get a reasonable picture of why it's more problematic upstairs.

As for you predicament - yes the aluminium won't be helping since it is a far better conductor of heat that plastic (and therefore cools more quickly too- with the outside world being the thing that's cooling it).

Instead of replacing it, I'd be inclined on spending a few quid on a plug in dehumidifier to try to remove at least some of the moisture upstairs. Perhaps something along the lines on here

 

[^woody^]

Older aluminium frames are thermally inefficient and provided a nice cold surface for air to condense on, and same for the glass.

Modern aluminium or plastic frames and units will be much better, but you need to understand that the moist air will still be there and so may no longer condense on the windows, but will instead condense on the next coldest surface - which will normally be corners of walls and ceilings leading to black mould

You need to read up on condensation prevention, and reduce moisture with extract fans (not just vents) and stop drying clothes in the property - the moisture from your previous drying in the bedroom takes longer than two weeks to go - it is in the plaster and structure for a much longer time and will slowly evaporate back in to the whole property and move around

 

[barrybarryr]

Thanks for the help so far.

The aluminium windows we have are really cold to touch on both the frames and glass.

We have uPvc front doors and patio doors downstairs and the frames don't get cold at all.

I'd love to be able to dry clothes somewhere else but we have no other option but to do them indoors in the winter. It's minus 2 out there today and they don't dry on the line. We always put them outside if possible but in winter this is not practical.

So if we change windows we are likely to get mould on the walls? Is that the long and the short of it?

 

[masona]

So if we change windows we are likely to get mould on the walls? Is that the long and the short of it?

In simple term, in old building it's draughty with poor insulation which is good for no moulds and condensation and today building good insulation will trap moisture in the room therefore more condensation problem, the only way to get rid of condensation is to take the moisture out externally, it's like putting a big plastic bag over the house and the moisture is trapped inside!

 

[RossPatzelt]

Just saw this and have to reply. We used to dry clothes in my old flat and yes, DON'T DO IT! it creates mould as moisture from clothes has nowhere to go.

Put your clothes in the washing machine and also select extra rinse and then BUY A TUMBLE DRIER! Its the only way in the winter mate.

Our windows are steamed up big time but we will hopefully get them replaced in the summer as they are now 30 years old.

 

[JohnD]

BUY A TUMBLE DRIER!

or for much less money, a washing line

 

[^woody^]

Our dining room is like a laundry in winter with what seems like clothes drying all over the place.

We don't get any damp/condensation/mould problems.

It's really to do with the property construction which dictates if damp clothes will cause problems

There is no way clothes can be dried outside between October and April

 

[RossPatzelt]

Woody I how long have you been drying indoors for mate?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

BUY A TUMBLE DRIER!

or for much less money, a washing line

Do you actually look outside during the winter months JohnD? Or maybe you live in the Bahamas?

 

[masona]

Woody I how long have you been drying indoors for mate?

So far we don't have any problem with condensation but do use a tumble dryer vented to outside.I have a stove running during the winter which need air so the mositure air is moving around plus I have an outside vent for this. Also I vents from skylight windows, shower, bathroom etc

Agree with woody, it's more to do with the property layout and maybe a mad family moving about the rooms!

 

[JohnD]

Do you actually look outside during the winter months JohnD? Or maybe you live in the Bahamas?

View media item 5710'appen you should move.

 

[^woody^]

Woody I how long have you been drying indoors for mate?

Forever it seems - about 22 years. We've gradually seen the kids clothes get bigger and more of them .... and there is no let up.

Admittedly, our houses have been relatively modern and had lightweight (thermalite) block walls which helps quite a bit.

Some of the properties I go in to are much less tolerant of indoor drying (pre 1940's solid walls and 1960's concrete system builds), but in such circumstances a good regime of closing doors, venting and heating could go some way to prevent outright black mould outbreak

Although the standard condensation prevention advice is to open windows and use the heating, IMO, this is outdated and takes no account of modern living and practicalities. It's no good opening a window in winter when external air is 97% humidity and expect the house to magically dry out

 

[barrybarryr]

The condensation problems are only on the windows not the walls etc.

Apart from the aluminium windows could the cause of our condensation problems also be that the previous owners got the cavity walls insulated and also related to the amount of insulation in the roof?

I have never ever ever seen so much insulation in a roof as our house has.

 

[barrybarryr]

BUY A TUMBLE DRIER!

or for much less money, a washing line

This is the daftest comment I have read for a while.

We have a washing line which gets used when it is sunny, however in situations like today where it is currently minus 6 outside how can anyone dry clothes on a line?