With the cold winter temperatures on their way, it is important to keep an eye out for any condensation, frost or ice buildup that may appear on the inside of your windows! Caused by a variety of factors, icy windows can often signal a problem with inefficient windows, air leakage, excess humidity or even poor ventilation within your home. At Stouffville Glass , we pride ourselves on helping our clients maintain and enjoy their windows long after installation. With a long winter ahead of us, the following guide will help you understand the causes of ice buildup inside your windows, the potential impacts and concerns, and our top 10 recommended tips for ice and frost prevention.
While waking up to a fresh blanket of snow may be a magical way to start the day, there is far less sparkly appeal when the ice starts to form indoors. As manufacturers have developed a variety of energy efficient products to help combat the harsh Canadian climate, there are a few reasons that can explain the presence of ice or frost on the inside of your glass windows:. When the winter climate drops below zero, the moisture trapped inside our homes is drawn towards the window pane where it makes contact with the cold glass.
This change appears as condensation and can quickly freeze into ice crystals on the inside of your windows. While this mainly occurs in single paned windows , colder climates can have this effect on double paned windows as well.
While the air can hold water or moisture in a gaseous state, the amount it can hold is greatly reduced as the temperatures get colder! While windows play an important role in protecting your home from the elements, there are a variety of reasons they might start to leak air, such as:.
While horizontal sliders, single hung or double hung windows are the most prone to air leakage problems, this air leakage also enables frost and ice to form on the inside of your home windows.
If you are looking for window options with low air leakage ratings, we highly recommend tilt turn, casement, awning and hopper window types for your consideration. While a poorly performing window will not be able to properly insulate against the cold air, this can also allow ice to form on the inside of your windows. From frames and glass to glazing and installation — there are a variety of factors that go into making a window as efficient as possible. Prolonged exposure to ice buildup can cause a variety of problems for homeowners, including:.
When the inside pane of the glass is frozen, this means the window has poor thermal protection and is allowing heat to escape from your home.
In a larger family, cooking and showering can create plenty of indoor moisture without even trying. As the moisture content of your home increases, so does the potential for moisture to condense on cold surfaces much like your cold window frames, like we discussed above. The colder the surface temp, the more condensation you get. If the surface temp gets cold enough cause the outside temp is dropping, remember? One way to decrease the humidity levels in your home is by using an HRV Heat Recovery Ventilator , which removes excess humidity within the home, as well as clears out indoor air pollutants.
Oh HRV, my hero! If your windows are poorly installed, air leakage will occur, whether or not it is a fixed window not made to open. An operable window see this blog post will leak even more air, especially as they age. Casement windows and awning or hopper type windows have a bit better performing air-sealing performance. You need to raise the temperature of the air in that pocket above the indoor air dew point. The fan suggestion might work, by pushing warm room air into the pocket.
Leaving the curtains open would do the same thing. In theory, completely sealing the pocket off from indoor humid air would work, but I've never tried that. Sign Up to Comment. The thing about condensation on windows, is that there can be a number of causes.
What climate zone are you in? I some regions there can still be quite a bit of humidity even in cold air, that could be a factor. Here is a good page to start reading that may have your answers —. Condensation on windows and how to deal with it. Humidity in homes can be from drying building materials, and general human occupation of a home such as cooking, cleaning, bathing, etc, and whether or not you have sufficient source removal in the form of bathroom fans and range hoods.
The quality of your windows will also impact how much ice you see forming, because the glazing surface of lower quality windows will be cooler and that will lead to more condensation. Do you use bathroom fans when showering? And your stove fan, do you use that as well? Other things that can help would be stuff like putting lids on pots when cooking, shaking snow off boots and jackets, not leaving clothes to dry inside etc. Do you also have a dehumidifier in your basement?
That would be a smart addition too. Condensation on double-glazed windows in cold climates is fairly common unfortunately. Despite being common it can be a problem, particularly in extreme cases, which yours seems to be.
First I would point you to a page we have that should give you all the info you need —. Condensation on windows — what causes it and how to stop it. But running all the way down the wall to create a puddle on the floor is quite a lot. In order to be able to fix your problem, I would first recommend you get a hyrometer, which will measure the relative humidity in your home. As for the source of humidity — here are a few more questions — do you have basement and is it humid?
Do you have and use a stove hood, and does it vent out? Do have you have and use a bathroom fan? And how old is the house - do you know the year it was built? The answer is actually pretty easy but not one you probably want to hear, and I know I risk getting lots of different opinions and comments - but in our opinion you should probably remove the poly vapor barrier.
Any moisture that may have leaked in through unsealed windows would be a drop in the bucket compared to the amount of water in the concrete foundation , which takes years to fully dry. And even that can only happen if it is protected with a membrane to prevent it from absorbing more moisture from the ground. Either there is no exterior moisture protection separating concrete from the ground and it will just stay wet forever, or it is protected from absorbing moisture on the outside, but still the only way the moisture in the concrete can dry is to the interior, which is currently being stopped by your poly vapor barrier.
So the short story is, despite that fact that so many builders keep putting vapour barriers on the interiors of basement walls, it is the worst thing you can do down there since the main source of moisture is not interior humidity in the air, it's the wet ground and or the concrete itself. Here is an article that will better help you understand why the walls are wet and how renovations should be carried out - ].
Having to remove all the poly is probably not the news you were hoping for but you are at least fortunate in the sense that there is no drywall on at this point. Most people only find out their basements are rotting many years after they've been finished. We can help you with whatever steps you take moving forward, so feel free to send along some pics if you can, or at least let us know the following - Are the wood studs right against the foundation or is there any rigid insulation panels or membrane separating it from the concrete?
Is there any damp proofing spray on the exterior wall, and or a dimple membrane? Do you get condensation on windows in the home? All are factors to consider for health and home durability.
What is Interstitial Condensation in Walls or Roofs? Replacing old windows in all but the most extreme cases will not save money in your lifetime.
Repairing old windows or adding layers may be a more cost-effective solution…. Why are basements moldy? Because we build walls so they can't dry. Simple changes in wall design will result in mould-free durable basements. Basements don't have to be moldy….
Are houses too airtight? No they aren't! Building practices and building materials can lead a building…. As early versions of suspended coated…. Basement mold and mildew can easily be avoided with better designed walls. Common building practices trap moisture in wall assemblies preventing them from drying.
That musty…. The practice of putting polyethylene vapor barriers in houses was intended to keep them dry, but it ends up keeping them wet. It's time to explore alternatives and to reconsider…. Condensation on windows in our homes is a problem - Why is it there? And how to stop it! When should you replace old windows? Basement renovations: How to prevent mold when finishing basements. Winter preparation for your home - are you ready for the cold? Maintaining healthy indoor air quality.
Suspended-film insulating glass windows - A definitive guide for these…. Is Condensation on Windows a bad sign? How can I get rid of moisture between the vapor barrier and the insulation in a…. My window drips when I run my air conditioning. What is the fix? Is condensation on windows normal? Ice Outside of Windows While cold air is often thought of as very dry, there are many occasions when there is heavy moisture in the air that can cause condensation and ice on the outside of windows.
Ice on the outside of new house windows While ice on the outside of your new windows may be alarming, exterior window condensation is usually caused when the window is colder than the dew point. Ice on the Window Frame Air leaks from poorly installed or aging windows can reduce the surface temperature of your window frames and create the perfect condition for ice to form. Preventative Maintenance Checklist How can you stop your house windows from icing on the inside? There are a number of things you can do around your home or cottage to help reduce the ice on windows: Check for damaged gas appliances.
Your gas furnace and hot water heater may be malfunctioning and expelling excess water vapour into the air. Safety Tip: Make sure you have a functioning carbon monoxide alarm to alert you to any life-threatening leaks inside your home.
Look for plumbing leaks. Everything from a leaky faucet to a major break under the sink can add water vapour to the air. Stop air-drying clothes inside. While it may be tempting to hang delicate clothing on a line to dry instead of using a clothes dryer, doing so will add more moisture to the air.
If necessary, spin dry the clothes first or damp dry to take out most of the water. Live plants look great inside and have the added benefit of producing oxygen.
Keep firewood outside. Absorb condensation. Keep a towel on the window sill to wick away any extra water that drips off the window. This will stop ice from forming on the glass. Replace the wet towel with a dry one each night.
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