Inside of Windows Soaking Wet

L

legend99

Guest
Right,
first night in new house. inside of both bedrooms windows that were used were soaking wet with condensation. I know it was a very cold night....big frost outsdie, but in a brand new house should the PVC double glazing be soaking wet like that???
 
Hi Legend,

This is happening in our new house too, on the patio doors downstairs. We let it go for a while, but then black damp starting appearing where the door joins the wall so got on to the builder who sent someone around. He didn't know what was causing it, so just re-sealed the inside and outside and said if that doesn't work get onto them again. That was on Thursday and when we came back to the house yesterday evening the tops of the windows were wet again.

I know there is no help to you there but my advice would be that if it is a brand new house, get onto the builder straight away and get them to sort it. Take pictures of it if you can and document everything that is said between yourself and the builders. It is their problem and they will have to sort it.
 
..

Nope, that is helpful...we are in agreement that inside of windows should not be wet, no matter how cold it is outside, and no matter how warm it is inside..
 
Re: ..

I had that too but it went away - think it was just down to new house and heating being on for the first time
 
Re: ..

For a new house - there may be excessive moisture that still needs to go somewhere when the heating starts up. It should dissapear over time.

If not then there may be a problem with the seals on the double glazing
 
Birds do it. Bees do it. Even educated fleas do it. Let's do it, let's transpirate.<!--EZCODE BR START--><!--EZCODE BR END--><!--EZCODE BR START--><!--EZCODE BR END-->With the heating off at night, the emission of heat from the glazing ceases (yes, the largest heat loss is still the double-glazing). The glazing cools faster than masonry whilst during their slumber the warm-blooded mammals exhale litres of H20.<!--EZCODE BR START--><!--EZCODE BR END--><!--EZCODE BR START--><!--EZCODE BR END-->Choices are -<!--EZCODE LIST START--><ul><li>De-humidifier</li><li>Open the window and or vent</li><li>Open the BR door</li><li>Cycle the heating on/off during the night</li><li>Stop breathing</li></ul><!--EZCODE LIST END-->
 
I'd say it's just damp in a new house. You need more ventilation to allow the house to dry out, not easy I know this time of year!
 
Unfortunately new houses are being thrown up at such a rate builders don't give things natural time to settle. Plastered walls and ceilings optimally need 5 - 6 weeks to dry properly but with today's methods they are painted/papered over too soon.

A de-humidifier would help (but you'll have to endure the whine of that all night!!
 
windowframes

The plastic frames I have come across here in Ireland are not insulated.Therefore they are the coldest spot in the house,the doors might be worse so.That won't go away until the building regulations are changed and demand is there.Unless you import your frames and doors(and exchange them) there is no way you can avoid it,sorry.
Exempt there is a chance to insulate them (from the outside)with some extra plastic ducts/channels.But I haven't come across that yet.There is plastic ducting for electric cables available that might do the trick,but since these are not purpose made it would be a time consuming DIY job I suppose.
The spacers between the panes are unsuitable as well,made from aluminia,the worst choice for insulation material .Therefore the gouvernment spends millions to keep the aluminia industry alive,I don't expect any changes in the regulations there.First they blast the energy to make these things,then these things help us to blast our energy at home and than the taxpayer has to fork out even more to keep the industry alive.Well,thats bulls island.
 
Re: windowframes

Are there vents in the bedrooms? And if so are they working? Make sure they are not closed or covered up.

If the problem is temporary due to excessive moisture in a new house sleep with the window open just a crack for a while.
 
..

Have had the heating on in the house for 5-6 weeks, cycling it on and off over the entire day, must have been on in total for 6-8 hours a day so i am pretty confident that the house itself is dried out..
 
Re: ..

just to keep piggy backing on legends post, we too have had the heating cycling on and off every day for the last 3 months. The houses were built at least 6 months before we moved in, so that should be ample time for them to dry out?
 
Re: ..

If the house is not damp, then it's got to be caused by your own breath during the night, which means you need more ventilation in the room.
 
condensation

"Have had the heating on in the house for 5-6 weeks, cycling it on and off over the entire day, must have been on in total for 6-8 hours a day so i am pretty confident that the house itself is dried out.. "

Did you also have good ventilation? Remember, when you heat up air, it holds a lot more moisture, but when it cools down again, that moisture must condense and form droplets. Merely heating a house won't dry it out - only removing moisture will do that - and the only handy way to remove moisture is with ventilation (OR of course with a dehumidifier). If you are relying on ventilation to dry the house, warmed moisture laden air goes out, cooler dryer air comes in, the "new" air picks up heat and moisture and goes out..... and so on. Heating on its own just holds moisture in the air but doesn't actually get rid of it.
 
Re: condensation

Same problem for us (we are in around 2 1/2 months), unsightly black patches (now becoming quite noticeable) in the corner of the patio/double doors in our main bedroom. The problem with getting fresh air into the room at this time of the year is that it is too bloody cold to have the window open during the night, and I would be wary of leaving the windows open all day. I guess the only solution is a dehumidifier?
 
Dehumidifier is probably best idea.

I understand from a few different experts that the windows should be left open for at least 1 hour per day but realistically with work/winter time this is probably not possible.
 
Windows

Hi there,
All habitable rooms should have a form of ventilation in them, (6000m3) i think. so if there is no vent on the wall then you should have a vent on the window. If you look at some windows you may see the type of vent I am talking about. You can close and open it as you need it. not sure if they can be fitted after the windows have being installed though, but I am sure you can check
 
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