Condensation occurs when warm, moist air meets a cooler surface. As the temperature drops, moisture vapour in the air condenses and turns into water droplets. Common activities like cooking, showering, and drying clothes indoors increase the moisture in the air, leading to more condensation. High indoor humidity and condensation can cause a variety of problems including health issues, mould and fungal growth and damage to your home and furnishings.
There are a number of ways to reduce internal moisture and condensation in your home.
Venitilation
Ventilating your home allows cooler, drier air in which helps lower humidity. Ventilation is especially important in newer homes as they are built to be more airtight and have less natural air flow.
• Open windows for at least 10-15 min per day, or if you have locking windows, keep them open for ongoing passive ventilation.
• When cooking or showering make sure you let the water vapour escape outside by opening windows or vents and make sure to use a ventilation fan if it is available.
• Ensure you run mechanical ventilation such as fans or rangehoods to adequately deal with moisture from showering and cooking.
• Dry clothing outside or in a ducted dryer.
• Consider installing a heatpump as these have an air conditioning function to reduce moisture.
• Running a dehumidifier can be useful to extract moisture from the air, lowering humidity and improving air quality.
Windows and Glass
• Changes to your joinery may make your home warmer, but are not a cure for dampness as moisture vapour will still be present in the air.
• Double glazing helps keep the surface of the inside glass warmer. This reduces the likelihood of condensation forming on the glass.
• Thermally efficient window frames work like double glazing and help stop the transfer of heat through the window frames, in turn, reducing condensation forming on the frames.
Managing condensation in your home requires addressing the root cause: excessive moisture in the air. For further information visit https://www.wganz.org.nz/guide/understanding-condensation/