![](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
2011-09-26 15:56:39
It’s hard to believe…I just lit my pilot light!
A: The good news is that you just lit your pilot light! I just lit mine too…another bit of good news is that we didn’t have to try to live through those dawg days of summer without air conditioning like they did back in the “dirty thirty’s”. That had to be pretty brutal, and probably miserable too.
To answer your question about whether to consider new windows for your house, we would need to actually take a look at what you have in the way of windows, and make a determination as to what would benefit you the most in that regard. Sometimes there are repairs and/or corrections that we can make that will solve certain problems for the short term. The inspection would determine if your existing window frames and casements are still solid and weather worthy for the upcoming winter we’re facing here in the Southern Plains of Kansas. If the frames are deteriorating, the chances of the seals on the glass panes being good are pretty slim. If they haven’t started fogging or dripping yet, they probably will be sooner than you would like. Air leakage around your windows is kind of like trying to heat the yard…on a cloudy day, that can be rough.
One of the things you can do early on is to not make the common mistake of turning your humidifier on at too high of a setting, putting too much moisture into your circulating air. When the furnace begins to run, the air it moves is normally really dry, absent a humidifier. You’ll recognize this when you walk through the house and reach for a doorknob, and hear and feel the spark of static electricity on your fingers. That’s dry air, which means it’s time to turn that humidifier on again. But do that gradually, so that you don’t get too much moisture laden air in your house, allowing it to begin collecting on the window panes.
Let’s talk a little more about condensation. Condensation occurs when a substance changes from the gaseous state to a liquid state. It occurs when air comes into contact with a cooler air or a cooler surface. By cooler, we mean, having a temperature lower than the dew point. Dew point is the temperature at which the moisture in the air condenses into water. It is the process of condensation that is responsible for the formation of clouds, fog, dew and rain. I am sure you might have seen water droplets form when you pour cold water in a glass on a hot summer day. Due to its transparency, condensation is pretty conspicuous on glass windows.
While window glass condensation bothers most of the homeowners during cold winter months, water droplets can also appear and form on the outer side of the windows during summertime temperatures. During summers, the humid air touches the cooler glass surface, and as a result, water drops form on the outside of some windows. During winters, the air inside the house is much warmer than outside. As the warm air touches the cool inner surface of the glass windows, dew drops form on the inside of the windows. If there is excessive condensation on the inside of the windows, the water could drip to the window sills and the floor. This could stain the windows or damage the sills, the walls, and the floor. It’s good, therefore, to try to prevent condensation from forming on your windows. Here’s some information on how to prevent that.
While condensation during summertime doesn’t really cause any damage, as the water droplets are formed on the outside of the windows, and evaporate outside, during winters, condensation occurs on the inside of the windows where it can do some damage. During winters, we need to use heating systems with humidifiers to make our homes comfortable. But while this warmed air protects us from the cold weather, it allows the warmed air to hold a lot of moisture. The warmer the air is, the higher its moisture content, unless you do what we suggested and gradually add that moisture with your humidistat, while not overdoing it.
Now, when this warm and moist air meets a cooler surface, like glass, it can condense and water droplets can form and settle on the inside of the windows. The most effective ways to minimize condensation in our homes lies in regulating the moisture levels inside the home. If you have a humidifier on your furnace, start using it slowly in the beginning. If you make the mistake of adding too much moisture to the air in your home, you can also employ a dehumidifier, either a portable device, or one installed on your heating and air conditioning system. Remember that excess moisture can result in mold or mildew forming in places you can’t see. That’s not good!
Moisture inside your home can happen as a result of an inadequate ventilation system, running your clothes dryer a lot, and taking showers in bathrooms without an exhaust fan in operation. The use of ceiling fans facilitates circulation of air, so it’s good to use them more often than most folks do in the wintertime. One should use the exhaust fans while in kitchens, bathrooms, or laundry rooms. This is the best way to get rid of most of the excessive moist air from these areas. Don’t keep the windows covered with curtains all the time, because those window treatments can also prevent the circulation of warmed air around the windows.
You should also make sure that the home appliances like space heaters or furnaces are functioning properly. There shouldn’t be any blockage in the ducts or vents. Leakage in pipes can also contribute to moisture, so make sure that there is no leakage in the house water or waste lines. Indoor plants and aquariums are also sources of humidity, so, make sure you keep them away from the windows.
As you can see, the wintertime problem of moisture on window glass is a lot about balancing the heat and the water! Hopefully some of these timely tips will be helpful to you in the area of moisture on the glass of your windows.
My first recommendation of having your local glass dealer send out a professional glass and window technician to check out your particular situation is a good one. So, till next month…stay warm!