Every fall and winter, as the temperatures drop, we get condensation on the inside of every window of our house. The condensation leads to mold, which then leads to endless hours of scrubbing it out. 
Could somebody PLEASE give me an idea as to what is going on and how I can correct the problem. It is driving me CRAZY! :headbang
Here is what I know is NOT the problem:
1.Leak in the window seal. These are double-pane vinyl windows. The condensation is only on the inside of the window, right along the edges. A leak would show either on the outside or between the panes.
2.Needing new windows. I actually looked into window replacement a couple of years ago. I got three bids. Two guys just tried to sell me windows, of course. The third told me that condensation was NOT an indicator of needing new windows, and he even gave me a brochure about it. He told me that if anything, it meant that the windows were doing their job and not leaking.
3.House is “too tightly sealed.” No other house in my subdivision has this problem, nor do any of the tightly sealed Energy Star houses of my friends and family.
4.Excessive humidity. This MAY be a problem only because I can’t tell if our humidistat is working. But we live in a dry, deserty area. We run the exhaust fan during and after showers. We cook with the fan on and everything vents to the outside (including our dryer). Our crawlspace is completely dry and covered with vapor barrier, and there are no leaks or standing water. Also, the problem is most prominent when we wake up in the morning—before we shower or run any appliances.
I know that the warm air from our house is meeting the cold air on the windows, creating an effect like the condensation on the outside of a glass of iced water. So why are our windows getting so cold? Don’t everybody’s?
Please! I’m getting so, so sick of this issue! I’d love to hear some feedback, especially if you or your DP know a thing or two about construction or home mechanics…or if you’ve experienced this yourself and solved the issue. Any ideas?? TIA!
Could somebody PLEASE give me an idea as to what is going on and how I can correct the problem. It is driving me CRAZY! :headbang
Here is what I know is NOT the problem:
1.Leak in the window seal. These are double-pane vinyl windows. The condensation is only on the inside of the window, right along the edges. A leak would show either on the outside or between the panes.
2.Needing new windows. I actually looked into window replacement a couple of years ago. I got three bids. Two guys just tried to sell me windows, of course. The third told me that condensation was NOT an indicator of needing new windows, and he even gave me a brochure about it. He told me that if anything, it meant that the windows were doing their job and not leaking.
3.House is “too tightly sealed.” No other house in my subdivision has this problem, nor do any of the tightly sealed Energy Star houses of my friends and family.
4.Excessive humidity. This MAY be a problem only because I can’t tell if our humidistat is working. But we live in a dry, deserty area. We run the exhaust fan during and after showers. We cook with the fan on and everything vents to the outside (including our dryer). Our crawlspace is completely dry and covered with vapor barrier, and there are no leaks or standing water. Also, the problem is most prominent when we wake up in the morning—before we shower or run any appliances.
I know that the warm air from our house is meeting the cold air on the windows, creating an effect like the condensation on the outside of a glass of iced water. So why are our windows getting so cold? Don’t everybody’s?
Please! I’m getting so, so sick of this issue! I’d love to hear some feedback, especially if you or your DP know a thing or two about construction or home mechanics…or if you’ve experienced this yourself and solved the issue. Any ideas?? TIA!
