So you have finally purchased those new energy efficient windows for your mobile home. Now you notice condensation around the glass. Are my windows bad?
This is actually very common. It is also a good sign of the results of "tightening" your home. With your old drafty windows, moist warm air escaped through your windows. You didn't notice it because your house was significantly "loose" when talking about drafts.
Condensation is water that forms on a cold surface when exposed to warm moist air. Depending on atmospheric conditions, this water may appear as fog, droplets, or frost. Condensation forms on a window as warm, moist air touches the cold glass and frame components. Since "cold" air holds less moisture compared to "warm" air, water forms on the window surface.
Like I said before, it is actually a good thing, you now know that the money spent was well worth it. Your home is now significantly tighter, which is what you wanted when purchasing new windows.You now know that you need to control humidity in your home. Once you look around, you might notice that your ventilation might need an upgrade.
Activities such as cooking, showering, washing dishes, and washing clothes all promote massive amounts of humidity within your home. Those same amounts went unnoticed before since your old windows were so drafty, allowing the humidity to escape. As the new push to tighten homes in order to reduce utility bills happens, there is new awareness to humidity levels. Humidity leads to mold propagation if left alone. It is important, as we strive to save on gas and electric bills, to control moisture levels by mechanical means.
Be sure to check the exhaust fans in your bathrooms and make sure they have adequate "pull". You should run the bath fans for at least 30 minutes after you are done showering. Make sure your range hood is operating or that you are using it when cooking. A lot of homes have ductless rangehoods that recirculate the air through a charcoal filter. These do little to nothing to control humidity. A range hood that vents to the outside is the solution. It would also help to make sure that you open windows from time to time when weather permits to allow dehumidification.
Remember, unless certain measures are provided to allow moisture to escape, condensation problems may continue to exist.
It is only natural to, at first, blame your new windows. You are discovering a problem that your old drafty mobile home windows were masking. Now that you know about, it's time to address it.
Mark Krober is an expert in the repair and improvement of mobile homes and is the President of Kettle Moraine Manufactured Housing, Inc. Mark has the experience of two generations in Mobile Home Repair.
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