Condensation

As you can see from the photograph this is a wonderful image of condensation. Being a double glazed window theoretically we shouldn't get much condensation but they are old (for PVC) and clearly we do.


So what does it mean? One reason often cited for condensation is lack of ventilation. We definitely have plenty of ventilation in this house though never by the windows themselves. I also regularly open the windows to help air the house though I freely admit that in winter it is often tempting to keep the house shut up nice and tight and cosy. Apparently the best way to get rid of condensation is to keep the house temperature above 15 degrees. That just isn't going to happen here. Our house is too large to heat all of the rooms all of the time. And personally I don't think that it is very healthy for us either (we have had fewer colds since living here despite living in a much colder home).

There isn't much more I can do to cut down on the moisture in the air. I use an extractor in the kitchen and always use lids on pans, the bathroom window is opened after a bath/shower and I never dry clothing on radiators. Some days I take a towel, wipe down all of the windows and leave them open for half an hour. Other days I just can't be bothered.

Feeling the need to be crafty I decided to make some little charcoal bags to hang by the windows. In theory they will absorb some of the condensation. The charcoal is from the ash in our fire, we don't usually get much as the stove is quite efficient but as these bags are pretty small there was enough for our needs.

And with hindsight herein lies another problems. These bags are really too small to make any appreciable difference! Oh well, at least they will burn.