Why Do My New Windows Have Condensation?
(By Door Store and Windows Owner Laurie Scarborough)
Finding condensation on your windows is extremely common and can happen with old or new windows. It simply comes down to the humidity levels in your home. Windows in areas like the kitchen and bath are more likely to have condensation. However, even if you find condensation in other areas, it doesn’t always indicate a problem.
That’s a humidity monitor on the piano. Our piano technician advised 40-50% humidity to keep the piano in good condition, and we are usually about 43-45% humidity.
According to the Mayo Clinic, the air in your home should be between 30% and 50% humidity; it’s healthiest for your home and for the people who live in it! Cold air is dry, so during the winter months, it may be necessary to introduce humidity artificially. I have a humidifier on my furnace system. My beloved piano needs 40% to 50% humidity and I just can’t sleep if it’s too dry. A high level of humidity is very important to me.
There are a few new windows in my house where I’ve noticed extra condensation: on my kitchen window over the sink, in the bathroom near the shower, and also in my bedroom. The first two are obvious, but the last is a little unexpected. We determined that the extra condensation in the bedroom is a result of cutting off some vents near the piano which diverted extra airflow into the bedroom.
Condensation on my bedroom window was unusual, but we understood why it was there!
Ultimately, I’m not concerned about any of these areas of condensation. I simply wipe off condensation when necessary to protect my interior paint job and prevent mold. It’s a maintenance chore that I’m more than happy to do to protect my piano and sleep comfortably!
We often found ice inside our old bow window.
Until recently, I also had an old window with a more serious condensation problem. The bow window in our family room was over 60 years old and single-glazed. We had condensation on the inside of the bow window every winter, and on freezing days, we even had ice!
Because this condensation was in an unexpected area and because we had ice, it was an indication that the window was failing. Last year we finally replaced our bow window with new, energy-efficient windows, and haven’t experienced any condensation on that window since.
Now that we’ve replaced our bow window with new energy efficient windows, we haven’t seen any condensation at all.
It can be surprising to find condensation on your windows, but it doesn’t always mean a problem. However if you find condensation on your windows that can’t be wiped off from the inside, you definitely have windows that are not energy efficient. We would love to help! If you have any questions about your windows, feel free to contact us today.
