Adequately heating your home can help to reduce condensation and damp, so keep temperature levels consistent, especially in those rooms that you may not use often. A heating thermostat can be useful for this. Avoid using paraffin heaters as these tend to create excess moisture.
If a house is not heated on a chilly day, then the amount of moisture the air can hold will fall. At 10C, water can hold around half of the amount, and the rest of the water vapour produced will form as condensation.
Heating your home by using your central heating system or chimney will reduce the relative moisture as higher temperatures can hold more water. This will keep the moisture under control as it will counterbalance the excess moisture in the air that is mainly produced by modern living.
Blow warm air on your windows - By blowing warm air across your windows, either with your heating vents under the window or a small heater, you warm the interior of the window which will help prevent condensation.
Increase ventilation
Ventilation can stop moisture being trapped and leading to condensation in your house. There are a few ways you can increase ventilation. Choose windows with 'trickle vents' or have vents fitted to your existing windows. These vents naturally allow air to transfer outdoors.
Increasing the temperature in your room, particularly overnight and in the winter, will prevent the build-up of condensation on your windows and walls.
The World Health Organisation guidelines suggest 21 degrees in a living room and 18 degrees in the bedrooms, falling lower at night and when you are out. You don't need to keep your home at these temperatures all the time, but you should aim to bring it up to these temperatures at least some of the day.
He explained that keeping your heating between 15 and 17 degrees helps your home reach a "constant temperature" which stops water forming on the windows. This trick also helps to slash energy bills, as it helps your home stay at a more manageable temperature rather than going between being too hot and too cold.
Because cold air can hold less moisture than warm air, window condensation happens most often in the wintertime when your windows, warmed from the heat inside your house, meet the cold air outside.
Will the humidity rise if the heat is turned up? Contrary to popular belief, heating the air actually lowers the relative humidity. This is because, as the temperature of the air increases, the air can hold more molecules, and its relative humidity goes down. The warmer the air, the greater its capacity to hold water.
Damp is often worse in a cold home, and heating can help reduce dampness problems, but it is a short-term fix, and you will always need to deal with the underlying cause to prevent damp.
Heat your home
The warmer air is, the more moisture it will hold. Heating one room to a high level and leaving other rooms cold makes condensation worse in the unheated rooms. If you don't want to heat your entire home, keep the doors shut on unheated rooms.
Condensation is caused by warm moist air coming into contact with cold surfaces such as windows and walls. It happens mainly during the colder months, regardless of whether the weather is wet or dry. Condensation is completely normal and is the most common cause of dampness in the home, especially in colder rooms.
Warm air holds more moisture than cold air. The warmer it is, the more moisture it can hold. Heating one room, and leaving the others cold, will lead to more condensation forming in the cold rooms. If you have central heating with radiators in every room, it is best to have a medium level of heat throughout your home.
Ventilation Systems for window condensation
The best option for getting rid of condensation permanently is installing a ventilation system in your home.
A little condensation on the inside or outside of your window isn't a major cause of concern. Wipe it away when you see it, and take steps to reduce the humidity in your house during the winter. And if there's a little condensation on your windows in the morning – don't worry.
The reason condensation appears in your property is due to a lack of adequate ventilation which causes humidity levels to rise. As we spend more time indoors and make our property more energy efficient the build-up of moisture and humidity levels increase.
The main cause of condensation is a lack of ventilation. The remedy is to improve ventilation to help equalise humidity inside and outside a property. Once upon a time, houses had badly-fitted windows, doors, chimneys and air vents that allowed for the circulation of air.
The main reason that condensation is worse in winter and the colder months of the year is because the amount of heat and moisture present within a home is often far greater than it is during summer, as well as the fact that the temperature outside your property is much cooler.
To stop condensation forming on the walls in your bedroom, kitchen, or bathroom, you should: Open your windows to allow air to circulate more freely. Open the trickle vents on your windows at night and keep bedroom doors open.
Condensation on the inside pane of your window
Cause: In most cases, internal condensation issues occur because of too much humidity in the room or little to no air circulation. Low internal room temperatures can also create cold surfaces (particularly on windows) which allows warm air to condense onto them easily.
Best Humidity for Sleeping
The best relative humidity for sleeping and other indoor activities has been debated. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the best indoor relative humidity falls between 30% and 50%, and it should never exceed 60%. Other studies suggest 40% to 60% is a better range.