Retro double glazing question

rugbgurl1, May 1, 9:10am
Hi we recently had double glazing retro fitted to most of our house, I’ve gotten up this morning to find our aluminium frames with some condensation on, just wondering if this is normal as I was under the impression that double glazing was supposed to stop that? Thanks for your thoughts and answers
tweake, May 1, 9:22am
the frames will still have condensation because they are still connected to the outside of the house and cool down. only way to stop that is to replace windows with thermally broken frames or plastic frames.
rugbgurl1, May 1, 9:28am
Thanks tweake, would a ventilation system stop it too.? Or is frame replacement the only option?
farwest, May 1, 9:42am
Is a little condensation all that much of a problem?
pcle, May 1, 12:27pm
Don't the new windows have drainage channels for any condensation?
Old single pane windows often don't - hence water damage to sills.
lilyfield, May 1, 3:26pm
I get a tiny bit of condensation on the bottom of my alu frames. They get a quick wipe .only on very cold days, not yet
No big deal
martin11, May 1, 4:05pm
What are you doing in the home that causes condensation ?
gabbysnana, May 1, 6:03pm
breathing
cagivachick1, May 1, 6:13pm
i wouldnt have thought so
tweake, May 1, 7:15pm
if keeping windows open fixes the condensation issue then a ventilation system will fix it.
however keep in mind even with a dry house you can still get condensation if the outside gets cold enough.
as long as the house is getting ventilated so moisture doesn't build up, a bit of condensation is not really an issue.
sanders4, May 2, 9:52pm
So if you ventilate a house then double glazing is an expensive option, overseas in the UK gas heating with radiators produces a dry enviroment but here with many forms of heating there is generally more moisture so is the cost of double glazing cost effective?
spyware, May 4, 12:12pm
Heating the house also works, because my guess is that it has none.
tweake, May 4, 5:59pm
double glazing is all about insulation. nothing to do with ventilation. in fact the two are opposites. the more ventilation you have the more heat you loose.
heating a house doesn't make it a "dry environment". heating helps to get moisture out of furniture, walls etc and into the air. but without ventilation it just goes straight back in. you need ventilation to remove that moisture laden air.

whats required is a combo. heat the house up (insulation makes that easier and cheaper) and then ventilate to remove the moisture.

the catch is that some homes (especially old ones) already have huge amounts of ventilation. so all they need is decent heating.
farwest, May 4, 6:04pm
You need to remove moisture at its source - this is what bathroom extractors and rangehoods are for.
tweake, May 4, 6:55pm
keep in mind one of the biggest sources of moisture is people. you breathe out a lot of moisture. if there is a lot of people in the house, or people who stay home all day, that can increase the moisture by a huge amount.
aloha3, May 6, 12:47pm
This amount may be temporary as your house dries out.
rimutaka, May 7, 10:18am
You are lucky our frames on the inside of the windows run with water I have to towel mine and we are not happy with our double glazing at all. there is also a wee drain that goes along the bottom of our windows hence that must be used for excess water running down the frames and glass .
hazelnut2, Nov 14, 8:55am
The only frames which won't condense water are those which don't conduct heat or cold. Metal is not wood or plastic and therefore conducts cold into the room, which then condenses the moisture and then requires drying. BUT it is only the frame and not all of the glass.

If these windows get sun on them in the morning I would leave the curtains closed to trap any heat behind them and open the windows to remove the warm air which has picked up the moisture.

This method saved me a heap of window-frame drying in winter! But I am home most days so can monitor the process and close the windows when the frames are dry.