Condensation and Moisture on Replacement Windows and Doors in San Diego

Moisture or Condensation Observed on the Exterior of the Building

Condensation on the exterior surface of a replacement window or door is NOT an indicator of a defective product or an issue with the installation. Exterior condensation is typically caused by ambient humidity, bushes near the windows, sprinklers or other moisture sources. In most cases the best remedy is to open the windows so that the temperature on the inside and outside surfaces can even out. Ultimately, the cause of condensation is a difference in temperature between the inside and outside surfaces. Please be aware that condensation on the window’s surfaces will not cause damage.

Moisture or Condensation Observed on the Interior of the Building

Moisture or condensation observed on the interior of the home or office MAY indicate a defective product or improper installation of the windows or door. However, there are several situations where condensation is common and not an indicator that a problem exists. For example, any time there is excessive humidity present, condensation is common and should not be alarming. Some high humidity cases include taking showers, cooking, watering indoor plants and doing laundry. In fact, sometimes it’s only after new replacement windows and doors are installed that these environments begin to show condensation. This is often due to the new, tighter seals that replacement vinyl windows provide. Tighter seals help to keep out bugs, reduce energy bills and maintain a cleaner interior environment. But they can also trap humidity that was being inadvertently vented by your older windows.

Determining if Your Replacement Windows and Doors are Defective

It’s easy to determine if the actual windows are defective. If you can wipe the condensation off the glass surface then the window or door is NOT defective. Being able to wipe the moisture away indicates it is not internal to the window. In other words, the moisture is not between the dual panes of the window. If you are unable to wipe the moisture away then it’s internal to the window or door and that indicates a seal failure. Seal failure is very uncommon and will almost always be covered by the manufacturer warranty. If we installed your windows please call us so we can schedule an appointment to inspect your windows and doors.

The Difference between Single Pane and Dual Pane Windows

In some cases customers may experience condensation for the first time after upgrading their home from older single pane windows to new replacement windows which are energy efficient. Condensation is caused by a difference in temperature between the inside and outside surfaces. With single pane windows the temperature on the interior and exterior surfaces can more easily equalize. But energy efficient windows have an insulation factor provided by their dual pane nature.

For example, let’s take a San Diego home with 30 year old, aluminum framed single pane windows. The customer observes condensation after their windows are replaced with energy efficient windows.

1. First the customer should call the company who sold and installed their new windows and doors. If we installed your windows we’ll schedule a visit to your home to inspect the windows.
2. Next the installer will inspect your windows and doors to determine if there are any manufacturer defects or if there is an issue with the installation.
3. If no defects are presents then the condensation is caused by environmental factors. Any time the temperature differs between the interior and exterior surface of a window there is a potential for condensation. This is a natural phenomenon, and it’s not harmful to the windows and doors.
4. We may recommend adjusting sprinklers for ground floor windows, trimming bushes or other environmental factors that may be sources of moisture. It may also be necessary to crack the windows open to equalize temperatures and humidity levels.
5. Although condensation is a natural occurrence it’s quite rare that we have these types of issues with replacement windows and doors in San Diego. In fact, we encounter condensation issues with less than 0.5% of projects.

For additional information related to condensation on replacement windows and doors please take a look at the attached information from Anlin Window Systems.