![](http://theqandatimes.com/files/media/UserImages/bob-cragerbw.gif) | Bob Crager of Lewis Street Glass is a 26 year veteran in the glass business. Lewis Street Glass is a leading Wichita Glass company, serving the entire Wichita/Sedgwick County area since 1919. They do anything and everything having to do with glass, both residential and commercial. They also do Auto glass. They are located at 743 South Market, facing Kellogg on the South, and you can reach them by phone at (316) 263-8259. You can email Bob Crager at bcrager@lewisstreetglass.com |
Glass
2010-05-01 14:25:00
Fogging windows – series (part two)
Answer: We answered some of your question last month. We will try and expand on that.
As you may or may not know, "fogging" and/or windows or mirrors forming condensation droplets can be due to humidity in the air coming into contact with a colder surface, like glass or mirrored surfaces. If there is an abundance of moisture in the air, it can form the fogging on the glass that is irritating to look at. If the moisture continues, the fogging can turn into water droplets through the condensation process, and begin running down the glass and onto the frame and sill of the windows. If that water is allowed to sit there, it will eventually ruin the finish and go on through to the wood. Since this process can be overlooked by our busy selves, it can create a much more expensive "fix" that it should. Nearly all homes will experience the fogging or condensation problem at one time or another. It’s perfectly normal.
Keeping in mind that excessive window condensation and/or fogging, frost on the inside of the glass, peeling paint, and even moisture spots on your ceilings or walls can indicate that you might have other moisture problems that you need to address, a periodic walkthrough to look for these problems can help you prevent them from getting into the "worse case" situations we’ve seen. Windows themselves do not normally "cause" condensation or fogging. They are the recipient of the humidity in the air that collects on them due to the fact that they’re non porous and the moisture cannot enter below the surface of glass. When you have the glass replaced, and the seals are good again, sometimes you will need to adjust your humidifier to accommodate for the fact that the new glass is tighter than the old glass was. The old glass probably allowed the humidity to escape, whereby the new glass won’t.
The condensation can actually be caused by anything and everything that you do inside your home that involves water. Heating and air conditioning, humidifying the air, mopping the floors, running the washer and dishwasher, taking showers…all of these things can bring that extra moisture into your interior spaces and cause fogging and condensation on your glass and mirrors. During the winter months, you can adjust your humidity levels to the following percentages to correct it if the levels are too high, creating fogging and/or condensation on glass:
•At minus 20 degrees outside -15 to 20% relative humidity
•At minus 10 degrees outside -15 to 20% relative humidity
•At 0 degrees -20 to 25% relative humidity
•At +10 degrees outside -20 to 30% relative humidity
•At +20 degrees outside -30 to 35% relative humidity
The relative humidity can be measured by a humidistat, which comes with most commercial humidifiers, or a psychrometer.
Make certain that all of your vents to the outside are working as designed and not plugged up by a bird’s nest. Don’t over water indoor house plants, a common mistake. Periodically you can air out your home by opening the windows to let the dry outside air in. Just a few minutes a day can accomplish this result. You can even let some excess moisture escape by opening your fireplace dampers. These are just a few tips that can give you a higher degree of comfort during those cold winter months when the windows can tell you that there is a moisture problem somewhere in your house.
More next month…