Feeling Foggy?
Does a layer of fog on your windows prevent you from enjoying our great Pacific Northwest views? This is a common problem for many homeowners in our area. Sometimes it’s a temporary problem caused by dads steamy cooking or it could mean you have a problem with the windows themselves or even a systemic problem with the home itself.
Foggy windows
There are many reasons why windows accumulate fog. Which one fits your problem?
* Steam. Cooking or showering can temporarily increase moisture levels. When this moisture contacts a cold window it condenses and fogs the window. Generally, this condition should clear itself when the shower is done or the spaghetti is on the table and there is nothing to worry about.
* Humidity. For windows with constant fog consider checking the home for the following:
* Crawl space vapor barrier. A missing or incomplete barrier could allow ground moisture to enter the home.
* Leaks. If water is leaking into the home for a variety of reasons it can be the culprit. Roof leaks or water on top of the vapor barrier are good indicators.
* Ventilation. Point of use fans in the kitchen and bathrooms should be used to ventilate moisture before it has a chance to build up. Mold/mildew on window sills is an indicator that humidity levels are consistently too high.
* Single pane windows. Older single pane windows have no insulation barrier to the exterior cold allowing condensation on these cold surfaces. Consider installing newer double pane or low-E windows. Before changing all single pane windows to double to save money be sure to calculate your return on investment. The difference in energy savings may not warrant the investment however there are other reasons such as noise reduction and aesthetics to consider.
* Failed seals. Double pane windows have an air gap between two glass panes, this air gap is often filled with an inert gas such as argon to increase efficiency. These two panes (sometimes 3) are factory sealed together into one unit that is then mounted into the window frame. These seals can degrade over time or be broken allowing the gas to escape and moisture to enter. While there are some unproven methods for removing and re-sealing windows in place, they usually need to be replaced. These sealed units can be popped out of the existing frames and replaced without disturbing the casing.
