When it starts to get chilly outside, and the first signs of winter appear, you may notice condensation and frost building up on the double pane windows in your home. While this is normal from time to time, if the moisture build up too much and isn’t properly vented, too much condensation can accumulate which can actually seriously hamper the energy-efficiency and insulation of your home.

While controlling the weather or the temperatures outside is out of our control, something we can keep a handle on, to a degree, is the level of humidity in our home. It is possible to restore and repair foggy windows, without having to pay for costly replacement. Let’s take a look at what causes condensation, how it can be prevented and how to repair it in your home.

What Causes Windows To Fog?

As you probably already know, when you make your home all toasty on the inside, it heats up the air your home contains. With the air outside being cooler than the air on the outside, the differences in temperature are what cause your window panes to trap the moisture from the inner air as the space between your thermal window panes does its job of insulating that warmth; that’s condensation. With that in mind, there are quite a few factors to take into account when deciding how to defog your windows

First of all, controlling the humidity within your home is one way that you can prevent too much moisture from collecting in the winter months. You usually find foggy windows early in the winter mornings when the air outside is at its coolest. If this is the only time you notice fogginess, then simply airing it out and letting the windows warm up as the sun comes out is enough to let the excess moisture evaporate.

At times, this may not be enough, and moisture remains and continues to build up until is starts trickling or dripping down the pane. This is problematic for several reasons;

• It obscures the light coming in, making the room darker and cooler, and creating a dingy, gloomy look.
• It impedes the insulation and energy efficiency properties of the windows
• Excess moisture getting trapped between the panes leads to worn and perishes seals, and eventually, rotten frames.

Can Window Condensation be Prevented?

It’s a well known fact that prevention is better than cure. To that end, your thermal windows can be discouraged from becoming foggy by being opened and aired out as often as possible, especially after a misty morning. By allowing the air to freely move around both surfaces of the glass, there is less chance of condensation becoming trapped or stagnating in between the panes.

While a house with misty windows is not something to aspire to having in your home, the fact of the matter is that the reason your windows are showing condensation is because they are doing their job effectively. In other words, by having moisture trapped in between the panes, this is evidence that the air is trapped inside as well – by well-functioning seals. In many cases, your air conditioning system’s fan can be used to move the air around and encourage the moisture to escape. Where this fails, a dehumidifier often aids in the fight against condensation.

Without going out and buying a dehumidifier, there are a few simple steps you can take to decrease the amount of moisture inside your home. This not only helps decrease window condensation, it is also more hygienic. You can minimise the amount of moisture floating around in the air in your home by running extractor fans in your kitchen, bathrooms and laundry room.

Did you know that too much humidity in your home can be detrimental to your family’s health? According to the experts, the optimal relative humidity levels are somewhere between 30% and 50%. The World Health Organization reports that upwards of 65% indoor relative humidity leads to upper respiratory diseases, particularly for those who struggle with asthma or chronic allergies. On the other end of the spectrum, when the humidity is too low, or less than 20% humidity, the dry can lead to dry, itchy and flaky skin and even nosebleeds.

Other factors to keep in mind which can also contribute the humidity levels in your home are rain, which needs to be adequately drained away from your house, waterproofing your basements floors and walls, water features of fish tanks should be covered in order to avoid too much moisture building up, and you should also bear in mind that the more plants you have in your home the more humidity you will experience.

How to Repair Windows With Condensation

If you have tried everything and you are still struggling with dark and dingy windows, then it may be time to attempt to repair the condensation. Apex Window Werks are experts at restoring windows with condensation, so if you need assistance call on us to repair your foggy windows. It won’t cost nearly as much as replacement, and the procedure it quick and simple.

Our skilled technicians will drill a few barely noticeable holes into the outer pane of your double-paned (thermal) windows, allowing the moist air to escape while leaving the seals completely intact. Air from the exterior is then pumped in between the panes of glass, which is re-sealed to retain its original insulation properties. As you can see in these  before and after photos, your windows will look just like new again!

If the condensation on your windows is too far gone for any of the tips we’ve given you to make enough of a difference, then feel free to call us for a free assessment and estimate. We will do our best to repair the window, and will only recommend a replacement as a last resort.