Condensation on windows / soaked window sills

[Hopeful2]

I woke up this morning to find all of our windows and window sills soaked with condensation. (I had to use two large towels to dry off all the sills.) Has anyone else experienced this in their home? Our house is brand new.
Thanks!

[pooh]

Interesting....well, not for you I'm sure. You might want to get in touch with warranty. Your windows could have a problem.

[aln]

Too much moisture in the house for the cool (cold) air outside.

Our house is 20 years old and our windows sweat too, ESPECIALLY if we're cooking alot.

Turn fans on IN REVERSE (blowing up) and the air will circulate across the ceiling and down the walls & windows helping to dry them off. Keep your blinds and drapes OPEN.

Hope this helps

[JC and John]

I woke up this morning to find all of our windows and window sills soaked with condensation. (I had to use two large towels to dry off all the sills.) Has anyone else experienced this in their home? Our house is brand new.
Thanks!

Yep, had the same problem although I only needed a wash cloth. Not sure what to do about it. Hubby said that it is because the frame around the window is metal and as it gets cold from the outside the inside fame will sweat because of the warm indoor temp. Never had metal frame windows. I don't like this scenario. Got news for ya, I am not about to go around to 10 windows each cold day, check the windows and raise the blinds and move stuff and wipe up the water. If he says this is normal then HE can pay for any damage that is done. Our house is 20 months old.

[murray607]

I woke up this morning to find all of our windows and window sills soaked with condensation. (I had to use two large towels to dry off all the sills.) Has anyone else experienced this in their home? Our house is brand new.
Thanks!

With a brand new home, the plastering may not be fully dried and would still 'sweat' although not usually for more than a few days. If you have just moved in and are now turning up the heat indoors, that may be causing it to sweat.

Ideally, the builder should not allow occupancy until the house has 'settled'. We took occupation of a new home a few years back and had dampness on the windows for about a week until things settled down/dried out.

[Happinow]

We had a the same problem. I don't think it's anything wrong with the windows. Just different air inside and out. Different extreme temps. I had it when I lived up North because of how cold it got outside.

[baustgen]

Excessive humidity in the house. Get a dehumidifier and run it.

[rjm1cc]

I woke up this morning to find all of our windows and window sills soaked with condensation. (I had to use two large towels to dry off all the sills.) Has anyone else experienced this in their home? Our house is brand new.
Thanks!

Normal to have some sweating but I think yours is too much.
Report it to home warrenty and then see if the problems clears up in a few months. A new home does have a lot of water in it.

[herbaru]

I woke up this morning to find all of our windows and window sills soaked with condensation. (I had to use two large towels to dry off all the sills.) Has anyone else experienced this in their home? Our house is brand new.
Thanks!

I am in a new home and had the same problem! The windows facing the sun dried quickly but the other windows were still very wet hours later so we wiped them off. I would think if they are left to dry on their own we would soon see mold! I will be calling home warranty.

[jblum315]

My window sills are made of marble, House built 4 yrs ago. I thought that was a standard feature. But I don't have your condensation problem

[DangeloInspections]

As others have said, it is doubtful there is anything wrong with your windows. Even the best windows have a much lower R value then your walls do, so when the temperature difference between your warmer inside air and the colder outside air is high, you will get condensation.

Newer homes are more moisture laden. Also, it is important to use your bath exhaust fans when taking showers, etc. Also, if your range vent exhausts outside, use it when cooking if what you are cooking is making steam. Homes are tighter now then they were 50 years ago, so exhaust fans should be used if humidity levels are high. As already said, a dehumidifier in extreme cases will help.

Maintaining some air movement and keeping blinds open will also help. The problem is much less here in Florida then up north, where it could be below zero outside and 70 degrees in the house. I have seen frost and ice form on northern windows, even insulated ones.

It truly is all about your humidity level, and the difference between the inside and outside temps. Remember, there is a healthy balance one wants to achieve. Too little moisture in the air and you will get "shocks" and furniture joints could open up, etc. Nosebleeds could occur. Cold air holds less moisture, so this is what Northerners face every winter. Some actually have Humidifiers to put MORE moisture in the air during the winter.

We are luckier. Our Florida air is normally much more humid....but we will get condensation on our windows on the few "cold" days we get this time of year. It is usually easily manageable.

Hope this helps!

Frank D'Angelo, ACI

[graciegirl]

Excessive humidity in the house. Get a dehumidifier and run it.


That is it. OR turn on the heat. It is cold outside and the windows get colder than the moist air inside and makes the moist air "rain".


Or you can wait. It really doesn't get THIS cold here too often.


Now watch me jinx all us and we will have an unusually chilly winter season.

[OCsun]

That is it. OR turn on the heat. It is cold outside and the windows get colder than the moist air inside and makes the moist air "rain".


Or you can wait. It really doesn't get THIS cold here too often.


Now watch me jinx all us and we will have an unusually chilly winter season.

OK Gracie - now you have done it!!! If we have six more weeks of winter we will know you are the Florida Ground Hog! :girlneener:

[CassieInVa]

Well I am on the east coast and have lived in many homes - new and old - and many times will see some condensation on the windows but NEVER on the sills. Sounds strange to me to have that much moisture and I would be concerned.

[ydnar9]

Are they single pane windows? That would be why for sure. The double glass thermopane windows should not sweat that bad.

[mulligan]

the glass doesn't sweat, the aluminum frame does.

[TrudyM]

the glass doesn't sweat, the aluminum frame does.

Sounds like cheap windows. I thought aluminum windows went out of style and use in most parts of the country over 10 years ago. They aren't used at all in our area anymore. If you are selling a house in the Northwest first thing a person buying will subtract is the cost of replacing all aluminum windows. Vinyl and Vinyl wrapped have been the norm for quite awhile even in cheaper construction but definitely in mid to higher end, real high end wood Aluminum or Vinyl combos.

Do all the houses in TV have cheap windows?

[jimmy D]

I woke up this morning to find all of our windows and window sills soaked with condensation. (I had to use two large towels to dry off all the sills.) Has anyone else experienced this in their home? Our house is brand new.
Thanks!

There are weep holes in windows. May be plugged. Call warranty problem NOW not later They should fix it pronto. Jim

[graciegirl]

It is because here the percentage level of humidity in the air is MUCH higher is this area than from where most of us used to live.. .Sometimes it is like breathing WATER to me.


It is a very short lived problem due to the cold temperature outside..


It happens IN REVERSE when it is VERY, very hot outside and the air conditioning is set low inside. Than the condensation is on the outside.


It is the same principle as an icy drink sweating.


WE have had eleven NEW homes in our lifetime. Our last one had high end Pella Windows and some of them fell apart from dry rot. Give me metal.

[Rango]

I woke up this morning to find all of our windows and window sills soaked with condensation. (I had to use two large towels to dry off all the sills.) Has anyone else experienced this in their home? Our house is brand new.
Thanks!

I just purchased my 2nd new home in The Villages in 1 1/2 years. The windows in both homes sweat. Called the warranty dept. Guy from Window company gave me a "brochure" explaining that it is normal.

If you keep blinds/drapes open a bit it helps. Seems to be worse when the heat is used at beginning of heating season.

Unfortunately aluminum windows will do that. Up north we have vinyl clad wood and with temps below freezing they do not sweat.

[gomoho]

Live in Hadley in an 5 year old home and our windows sweat during the situations that Gracie mentioned. I believe it is the difference between the temps in the house vs outside that creates the problem. I also thought that was the reason for the marble sills to catch the sweat.

[784caroline]

If you have Low E windows, exterior condensation, depending upon certain situations is normal. NOTE I said exterior condensation not on the Inside. It sounds like you have a bigger problem and you neeed to consult home warranty!

Below is some R&D I found from a window company (YKK in Atlanta) regarding exterior condensation on Low E windows.
************************************************** *******
What causes exterior condensation?

Exterior condensation occurs when moist air comes into contact with cool surfaces, such as glass. This type of exterior condensation appears when the dew point in the air is higher than the temperature of the glass. This occurs when a cool night follows a warmer day, and most typically happens during the spring and fall seasons.

How does low-emissivity (Low-E) glass affect exterior condensation?

Low-E glass reduces the amount of heat that is conducted through the glass from the warm interior of the home to the outside glass surface. Heat conduction may be reduced by as much as 50 percent with an efficient Low-E coated glass. This reflected heat energy will reduce the outside glass temperature and can result in condensation on the glass. Exterior condensation is in fact an indication that the insulating glass package of the window is performing as it should.

Even though it might be annoying. This is how the glass package with Low-E is supposed to work. With Low-E we are in fact lowering the temperature of the outside piece of glass, because we are hindering the amount of heat transfer through the glass, thus lowering the outside glass temperature. Also depending on which side of the house is exposed to more sun light during the day, as to how this is going to effect the windows the next morning, as I stated above.

All of this information can also be verified on the NFRC (national fenestration rating council) website.


Tami Entrekin, Customer Service Representative
YKK AP America, Inc.
Residential Products Division

************************************************** **********************************************

A link to another good article

http://donan.com/summer-sweats-window-condensation/

[BobnBev]

Single pane windows will sweat....Double pane windows won't.

[Matzy]

I think it is excessive humidity in the house because it wasn't dried out enough. Open the windows during day when the humidity is low and no rain is coming up for next hours.
We had the same problem for few days, after we left the window just a little bit open during the night and opened it next days the problem was solved in one or two days.

[DangeloInspections]

Those two articles are good and correct, but they mainly discuss outside condensation. I actually installed YKK windows in my home and like them. YKK makes very good windows, in my opinion. I like their self cleaning glass, one of the reasons I bought them.

The original poster was discussing interior condensation, which I addressed. I also would like to note that dependent on the outside temperature and the interior humidity level, I have often seen double glazed windows "sweat". not as much as single pane of course, but double pane can and does easily sweat if the conditions are right. Proof of this are all of the folks here stating that their homes are new......all newer homes in The Villages have double glazed single hung windows installed.

Frank D'Angelo, ACI

[Hopeful2]

I really appreciate everyone's reply.

My windows have low e glass and I did have my heat on that night. I'll run it by warranty and see what they say. ( I'm just glad that my new window treatments have not yet been installed.)

[tialarre]

We went to look at new constructed homes there was a cold front that came through on Thanksgiving day and every home we saw condensation was on the window sills.

[alanmcdonald]

We moved in to a new TV home Thanksgiving week and had condensation on every window Thanksgiving morning.

Warranty checked all the windows and found nothing wrong.

[graciegirl]

We moved in to a new TV home Thanksgiving week and had condensation on every window Thanksgiving morning.

Warranty checked all the windows and found nothing wrong.


It was COLD for here that day.



The homes are well built and the windows are fine. This place is so great that a lot of us suffer from...what's the catch syndrome.


I don't work for the developer. I don't know the developer.


I am just a happy camper.

[ladila2]

Yep! Rango has got the answer. Cheap windows are the primary cause of these condensation problems. Metal sweats due to temp differentials. In rushing cold air contacting the warmer air inside the home equates to condensation, similar to Mother Nature and the precip cycle. If these windows were installed up north the manufacturer would go O-O-B in a matter of months. Vinyl clad windows have replaced the cheaper aluminum framed windows. You can feel the air (drafts) when you place your hand near the window frame. I owned a large business heat/cooling efficiency and this was indeed the major culprit. Good luck to all who are experiencing this situation and pray for warmer days.

[dolpterry]

Don't believe sweating is allowed in the Villages, I'm sure there are rules about that.

[mulligan]

Yep! Rango has got the answer. Cheap windows are the primary cause of these condensation problems. Metal sweats due to temp differentials. In rushing cold air contacting the warmer air inside the home equates to condensation, similar to Mother Nature and the precip cycle. If these windows were installed up north the manufacturer would go O-O-B in a matter of months. Vinyl clad windows have replaced the cheaper aluminum framed windows. You can feel the air (drafts) when you place your hand near the window frame. I owned a large business heat/cooling efficiency and this was indeed the major culprit. Good luck to all who are experiencing this situation and pray for warmer days.

But the aluminum windows will stand up much better in the Florida climate.

[graciegirl]

I was thinking this morning that heat rises and the registers are in the ceiling, that is because cold falls, and it is warm here most of the time and we need air conditioning more than heat.


Having cold conditions that cause condensation inside of our windows here probably happens less than five days in a year.

[gomoho]

Don't forget if you reverse the direction your fan is blowing it will bring that warm air down into the room. But like Gracie said we have so few days to deal with this - is it worth the effort?

[graciegirl]

Don't forget if you reverse the direction your fan is blowing it will bring that warm air down into the room. But like Gracie said we have so few days to deal with this - is it worth the effort?



How do you do that Go?

[pooh]

No registers on floors because houses are built on concrete slabs. Even in CA our houses had heating vents high on the walls or ceilings.

Brrrr....this is one of those few cold days for sure!

[gomoho]

Don't forget if you reverse the direction your fan is blowing it will bring that warm air down into the room. But like Gracie said we have so few days to deal with this - is it worth the effort?

Gracie - these is a switch - usually on the top of the housing that you move and it will reverse the direction. It's difficult 'cause you have to get up on a ladder to do that which is why it is probably not worth the effort here.

[batman911]

I have noticed the condensation more on windows that are in the direct path of the ventilation flow. Our front bedroom is on the North face of the house and I can feel the warm air from the ventilation dump when I stand in front of those windows. These are the only windows that I find condensation present. The warm air hitting those windows is probably causing the condensation.

[nancy32163]

I woke up this morning to find all of our windows and window sills soaked with condensation. (I had to use two large towels to dry off all the sills.) Has anyone else experienced this in their home? Our house is brand new.
Thanks!

Yesterday I was closing the blinds in the bedroom and noticed beads of water on the windows. This prompted me to check all the other windows & they were all dry including the new one they put in a couple months ago. The only wet windows were in the bathroom, master & one guest bedroom. Our home is 8 months old so will contact the warranty department. I took photos so I will be able to show the warranty department. The sliders and all windows in the main part of our home are dry.

[karostay]

I woke up this morning to find all of our windows and window sills soaked with condensation. (I had to use two large towels to dry off all the sills.) Has anyone else experienced this in their home? Our house is brand new.
Thanks! Called non insulated cheap windows the highest quality window the builder was allowed to use

[jaringg]

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this but here our houses are on a slab ot concrete and that takes a long time to completly dry.

[mulligan]

Concrete cures 100% in 28 days. Always.

[donb9006]

Now you know why some houses have that "fancy marble" window sill...