Everyone knows that windows can fog by simply breathing on it, as condensation is caused by humid air coming into contact with a cold surface; just like our warm breath on a cold window or a glass of ice cold water in a warm room. The condensation creates many small droplets of water and becomes visible on the surface in the form of “fog”. Unfortunately, sometimes this can become a problem for insulated windows and you may notice your windows looking a little cloudy due to condensation being trapped in between the two layers of glass, and it can’t be simply wiped away.
Insulated windows are made up of 2 sheets of glass with a sealed air space in the middle. It’s designed this way to create a barrier and seal between the inside and outside of your home in order to make it more energy efficient throughout the year. Unfortunately, the seal can deteriorate which allows moist air in between the panes where it condenses. The glass seals have to withstand a lot with hot/cold weather, rain and wind, but even with a failure rate of only 1-3% there’s still a chance of at least one glass unit in the house fogging up. Anything in your house that involves water can lead to excess humidity and condensation like hot showers, mopping and air conditioning/heating units.
Although it’s not entirely preventable, there are a couple of things you can do to reduce the risk of the problem:
- Ensure that all outside ventilation sources are open and allowing fresh air inside
- Open windows and doors regularly to “air out” the house. Allowing moist air to exit and dry air to enter will keep air well circulated inside
- Use a dehumidifier to help get rid of moisture in the air
- Open fireplace vents in order to allow moist air to escape through the chimney
- Make sure to keep indoor plants watered, but do not oversaturate
- Measure the humidity in your home with a humidistat to keep an eye on changing humidity levels. Humidity levels will obviously differ with the seasons but you could still make note of the differences and notice when humidity levels are high in the home.
Insulated glass units usually last around 5-10 years (depending on the environment they are in and the elements they are up against) and will most likely deteriorate over time. Excessive and drastic changes in temperature and outdoor elements can decrease their life span. Thankfully, with Ace Glass, new window or door units are easily installed, so if you think your windows may be deteriorating, then it’s best to get them replaced sooner rather than leaving them to fog up severely.