You’re admiring the frost-coated trees from your living room window when you see it: water droplets on the pane.
Before you panic and call for window repair, take a breath. Condensation – water accumulation on the inside of your windows – can sometimes be perfectly normal. That being said, other times, it can indicate a much more nefarious problem, and given that this is wintertime, you want your windows operating at full capacity as insulators and draft preventers.
What causes condensation, and how can you tell if it signals a problem? These are big questions, but Tony’s Lifetime Exteriors, your Sauk Rapids window installation expert, has the expertise to handle them. Let’s talk about the ins and outs of condensation – what it is, what causes it, and how to tell if it’s a signal that your home is going to need window replacement soon.
What Causes Window Condensation?
On a cursory level, like we said, condensation simply refers to water accumulation on an object, but understanding things on a more scientific level will help to put your anxieties at ease.
When warm air meets the colder window glass – and most window glass will be colder than your home’s air temperature – water vapor in that air condenses, or changes into its liquid form. Condensation happens quite a bit in the wintertime because the outside temperature is so radically different from interior temperatures.
But where is this water vapor coming from, you might wonder? Well, think of all the water-related appliances we use on a day-to-day basis (showers and sinks, to name a few). Some of the water used in these appliances evaporates, or changes form from liquid to gas, thus returning to your windows as a liquid form once again.
In short, condensation isn’t always scary. Sometimes, it can be simply the result of typical household activities and a difference in temperature. It might, in fact, be a signal that your windows are working perfectly. They’re blocking water-heavy air from your home from seeping outside, forcing it to condense on your windows instead.
However, if you’re quite regularly seeing condensation on the inside of your panes, you might want to get someone to check out your attic or your ventilation system. Too much water clinging to your windows can be a sign that stuff up there isn’t working as it should, and that your home could be at risk of mold issues, problems with water damage, or just general poor ventilation.
When Is Condensation a Sign of a Broken Window?
Good question! The answer: when it indicates a broken window seal.
As we implied earlier, a potential cause of condensation is that your windows are creating a seal between your home and the outdoors. This results in condensation on the inside of the pane, where you can touch it. However, if your condensation is occurring between your window panes, it’s time to look into window replacement.
This is simply because it indicates your windows are letting exterior or interior air into places they shouldn’t be. While condensation inside your windows is usually an indication that your windows are airtight, condensation between the panes signals that they aren’t.
Many window contractors offer what are called “defogging services,” which essentially remove this inner-window condensation, but these do nothing to fix the bigger problems broken seals bring with them.
Skyrocketing Energy Bills
Want to pay more to maintain your home’s temperature? We didn’t think so. A broken window seal is an indication that your window’s insulating properties have all but vanished, meaning that there’s relatively little protecting your home from the cold air outside in that area. Given that this is Minnesota and snow and frigidity abound, you’ll want to get your windows replaced ASAP to give your home the best protection possible.
Roomwide Discomfort
Good luck getting comfy in a room with a broken window seal. Their lack of insulating properties means they are quite skilled at letting the bone-chilling winter in! You deserve a home that keeps you warm, dry, and comfortable – you deserve new and working windows.
Continued Problems
What broke your seal in the first place? Was it a mold problem? Simply old age? Years of abuse? Regardless, defogging is only a cosmetic fix. It doesn’t address what happened to break your window in the first place.
If the original cause isn’t addressed, it’s bound to come back again and again, meaning more bills and discomfort for you. Don’t settle for anything less than you deserve! Get the job done right the first time with top-notch window replacement services.
Contact Tony’s Lifetime Exteriors for Timely Window Replacement
Whether you need bay windows, casement windows, or anything in between, we at Tony’s Lifetime Exteriors are here to provide. Our team is nearly entirely in-house, ensuring quality workmanship and accountability.
We’d love to share our expertise with you, so give our Sauk Rapids location a call today at 320-252-9086!