Condensation + tile damage

We moved into our new house recently. I am not sure if this is a common problem, but we have noticed the floors at the back and patio doors gets quite wet in the evening, and it looks like condensation forming there. the result is that the tiles we laid are looking stained with the wet - I mean it looks like it has seeped into the tiles at the door area. Has anyone experienced this or have any idea what is happening to cause this and any ways to prevent it? At first we thought it was down to a new house, drying out a bit so there was excess water in the air, but the damage to the tiles means we have to take it more seriously now.

Any help is as always appreciated!

Are the tiles actually damaged though, or do they just appear wet? If this problem is occuring near door thresholds it probably suggests a cold bridge. There's very little that can be done about this without resorting to major remedial work (taking up floors, beefing up insulation etc). Some cold bridging is inevitable at door and window locations as the cavity wall construction is compromised. Condensation problems are probably exacerbated in new dwellings that are still drying out (this can take a year, especially in concrete built structures). If there is inadequate heating and ventilation there will be inevitable problems with condensation. Water vapour will condense on the coolest surface within the building, the cold bridges are those points in your home. I'd wait a bit longer before jumping the gun on this.

i had problem on a patio door in my new build.
Basically the tiles were getting wet when it rained.
On further investigation found that the holes in the patio door to allow water to escape were blocked with plaster.
when i cleaned out these holes the problem disappeared.
Not sure if this helps you but might be worth a look.

Carpenter said:

Are the tiles actually damaged though, or do they just appear wet? If this problem is occuring near door thresholds it probably suggests a cold bridge. There's very little that can be done about this without resorting to major remedial work (taking up floors, beefing up insulation etc). Some cold bridging is inevitable at door and window locations as the cavity wall construction is compromised. Condensation problems are probably exacerbated in new dwellings that are still drying out (this can take a year, especially in concrete built structures). If there is inadequate heating and ventilation there will be inevitable problems with condensation. Water vapour will condense on the coolest surface within the building, the cold bridges are those points in your home. I'd wait a bit longer before jumping the gun on this.

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Whilst i agree in practice with you carpenter, i dont agree that these cold bridges are inevitable. They are caused by bad detailing and lazy construction.

I have a similar problem witha front door. huge condensation. I think there is a breeze coming in around the edges of the door where the seal might be damaged/broker ( the seal that presses against the door frame that is on the door) Or else the door is warped. should i first repair the seal or if i call someone out like a carpenter will they tell me that the door is ok/in need of replacement. I would be worried that they would just look to replace the door unnecessarily if it just could do with a new seal.

sydthebeat said:

Whilst i agree in practice with you carpenter, i dont agree that these cold bridges are inevitable. They are caused by bad detailing and lazy construction.

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It's very difficult (practically speaking) to achieve the same thermal performance at door and window openings, therefore the overall thermal performance is compromised somewhat at these locations- this results in greater heat losses at these locations and an inevitable condensation risk if these are the coolest surfaces in a structure. Detailing is one thing but unfortunately blocklayers are not insulators and some of them do not understand the principles of cold bridging, DPC placement etc.

thats why i would advise self builders / direct labour employers to get as informed as possible if they have not engaged a full time informed professional to supervise their work.
I have too often seen absolute crap workmanship by tradespersons because they know their employers cannot tell the difference between bad and best workmanship.
It is quite easy actually to properly thermal break details at jambs, cills thresholds etc... its simply a case of doing the right thing. Blocklayers not being insulators nor understanding the principles of DPC etc is not a good enough argument.

Even employing a professional to supervise a job is no guarantee of getting these details right; engineers/ architects etc only carry out periodic inspections and they cannot be expected to spot every defect. Most tradespersons will do a good job if they know what is they should be doing and why. I'm not an apologist for poor workmanship or defective detailing but it is important to remember that buildings are not constructed in factories under controlled conditions; new cars are and they still give trouble ocassionally! Anyway this is going a bit off topic...

Yes i suppose it has! sorry to repeat but any help for my query?pls