Hi, my first winter in England is coming and recent days I always find condensation on the outside of my windows, especially in the morning. Anything I should do with it?

19 comments

  1. EDIT: Just realised you said **exterior**. If exterior then no issue, if **interior** then my comment stands.

    Yeh it’s somewhat normal because UK winters are really damp and humid, which is why they often feel colder than winters on mainland Europe or elsewhere that are technically colder.

    Your windows should have a trickle vent that looks like [this](https://i.imgur.com/0AgPdbt.jpg) (or similar) that you should keep open overnight on any windows that are steaming up. You might have older windows that have a different style where they “lock open” on have a method for leaving them with a tiny crack open somehow. With the exception of sash windows almost all window types will.

    This, along with keeping curtains closed overnight should reduce condensation in the morning.

    Alternatively many people have started using dehumidifiers as well, as excess condensation could be caused by dampness from perhaps drying clothes inside.

  2. > Condensation forming on the outside of new double glazing is a natural phenomenon and it arises because the window is working so well at preventing heat loss from your home.

    > Condensation is defined as the process by which gas turns into a liquid. If the temperature of an object falls below what is known as the dew point temperature, then water vapour from the air will condense on the object’s surface. The dew point varies according to the amount of water in the air (compare a shower room to a sitting room for example) and the temperature of the air. The warmer the air, the more water vapour it can hold – but it can only hold so much, so if this saturated air encounters a surface that is below the dew point temperature, then it will condense.

    > The reason water condenses on the outside surface of the glass is the temperature of the glass drops below the external dew point temperature. The new double or triple glazing units tend to have inner panes made up of low emissivity glass and this prevents the movement of heat across the glazing unit, so the outer pane never gets warm.

    It’s nothing to worry about, just shows you have efficient windows that aren’t “leaking” heat.

  4. Exterior? Don’t worry about it. Interior? You need to do something or you’ll get mould.

  8. External condensation means the windows are keeping the cold out and the double glazing is doing its job. As it gets colder (than it has been) we start to get condensation on the inside of ours which is annoying af.

  11. Just a cautionary note : if you get condensation INSIDE on your windows get a CO2 monitor to ensure your appliances aren’t leaking CO2 into your property.

  13. If you get it on the inside of the window I recommend these Karcher handheld water vacuum things. Our house used to get really damp from it and cause mould, now we vacuum it all up and water or house plants with it.

    On the outside of the window like many have said shouldn’t be a problem at all.

  14. Yeah, completely normal.

    Inside is warmer than outside. Moisture in the air warms up as it approaches the window and condenses into liquid, which sits on the window.

    Be wary of condensation on the inside of the window, though. That’s how you get damp. If the inside of your windows are wet, you need to open the window and air the room out a bit, or get a dehumidifier if it’s really severe.

  15. We are a tiny island surrounded by a lot of water. We are the dictionary definition of damp.

  16. Exterior condensation means your windows are working. Interior condensation means they are not.

  17. Sounds like your windows have been fit back to front. You need to have the glass rotated.

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