The fogging of plastic windows: the causes and their elimination (tips)

Modern renovation or construction of residential premises can not do without the installation of plastic windows. And this is justified, because for an affordable price there are a number of advantages: noise insulation, tightness, increased light opening and aesthetic appearance. But the joy of installing PVC products may not last long when a problem occurs in the winter, such as fogging up plastic windows. The reasons for this state of affairs do not concern a person before the appearance of traces of mold on white slopes. And then the question arises: "What should I do?".

Physics, 8th grade

If you recall the basics of science, which describes the laws of nature, it is possible to answer the question why the plastic window is sweating from the inside. In the textbook for the 8th grade in physics there is a topic about aggregate states of matter. It's all clear: for different temperatures, the substance can be in the gaseous, solid and liquid state. And this phenomenon a person observes daily, for example, by boiling water, when it starts to evaporate at 100 degrees.

The transition of a substance from a gaseous state to a liquid is called condensation. This phenomenon occurs when the temperature is lowered. If you apply this knowledge to PVC windows, it becomes obvious why the windows "cry"? The glass unit itself is located at the junction of two environments. In winter, it's cold outside and the room is warm. During this period, the surface of the glass inside the room has a lower temperature, so the vapor of the liquid contained in the air begins to change the aggregate state under the influence of the temperature difference and settle on the cold plane in the form of droplets.

Old wooden windows were better?

Wooden frames with glass, which are not at all sealed, do not contribute to the appearance of condensation on the windows. You can, of course, leave old wooden structures and not suffer from a wet window sill in winter, but then the amounts given to communal workers for heating the housing will be much more impressive. After all, the beauty of PVC windows is in their tightness and the preservation of the thermal energy of the house.

In Soviet times, the supply and exhaust ventilation consisted of ventilation ducts and slotted window frames, which carried out constant air circulation in the premises. When people began to change the window blocks to sealed products, there was such a pressing problem, as misting up plastic windows. The causes and their elimination are interrelated: if the ventilation system has been disturbed, it must be restored.

Humidity

Another reason for the sedimentation of water droplets on the windows is the humidity in the room. According to sanitary norms this indicator for a normal microclimate should not exceed 45%.

If the hygrometer measures the humidity level in winter inside the living space and it shows a value of 60% or higher, this is one of the reasons why the plastic window is sweating from the inside. Dampness in the apartment appears when the exhaust ventilation is insufficient.

Steam is formed during cooking, washing, showering. To avoid its concentration, it is necessary to adjust the operation of the ventilation ducts, ventilate the room more frequently and check the efficiency of the heating devices, which should not be blocked by the window sill by more than 1/3.

Causes of moisture formation

• Cooking food. During cooking, steam is released into the air, which, falling on the inner cold glass, settles in the form of droplets.
• The constant stay of people in the room, without periodic airing.
• Poor air circulation (closed batteries, non-working exhaust ducts).
• Incorrect thermal insulation of the room.
• Hanging wet things in the drying room.

Condensate is hazardous to health

The fogging of plastic windows, the reasons of which lie in the high humidity of the air in the housing, signals an unfavorable microclimate, as dampness is an excellent medium for the development of mold and fungus. If you do not pay attention to the "crying" windows, over time the slopes will cover with black spots, and this is a serious signal that you need to thoroughly clean up the surfaces.

The harmless, at first glance, neighborhood of a man with moldy walls turns into problems for health. Invisible spores of the fungus and mold penetrate the respiratory tract into the human body and worsen its well-being. Particularly at risk people with asthmatic diseases. Therefore, the question of how to eliminate the fogging of plastic windows is not only relevant for the preservation of the aesthetic appearance of the room, but is also important for maintaining a healthy microclimate.

Special double-glazed windows

Having found out that the condensate appears on the coldest surface inside the room - the window glass, you will understand that if the thermal conductivity of the double-glazed window is reduced, the chances of droplets appear lower. Due to the thermal insulation of the double-glazed windows, it is possible to increase the temperature of the inside of the window.

Managers of window companies the problem: "How to prevent condensation on the windows?", Suggest to solve the installation of special double-glazed windows. At least two-chamber design should be chosen, with energy-saving coating and argon filling of the space between the panes.

Condensate on slopes

It happens that after installing metal-plastic windows, even if it is a premium class, windows and slopes "cry". This state of affairs is due to the presence of "cold bridges". These are places that are exposed to simultaneous exposure to cold and heat. These bridges appear at the points of contact of the profile with the outer wall.

To avoid condensation near the windows, some calculations are made by means of isotherms during the determination of the installation site. So, with a monolithic wall, the window unit is installed in the middle of the slope.

It is difficult to trace the correct installation of a metal-plastic structure to a layman, so when choosing a window company the main thing is to find professional installers.

Airing

Knowing the reasons for sweating plastic windows in the apartment, you can easily identify ways to solve the problem. It is important to ventilate the room in order to remove warm and moisture-saturated air. When opening the windows, especially in cold weather, warm air from the room is weathered, and the room becomes cool, but the humidity decreases. Enough short-term airing.

After taking a bath or washing it is recommended to use forced ventilation. And if there is none, it is necessary to address the issue of its installation. In old apartment buildings, the exhaust ducts are often blocked by a construction company. In order to check the efficiency of ventilation, it is enough to bring a sheet of paper to it: if there is traction, the sheet will stick to the grate, otherwise you should write a statement in the housing and communal services with a request to clean the clogged channel. That is, the hood should be present in the house, in places of high humidity: bathroom, toilet, kitchen, swimming pool (in a private house).

After sleeping, cooking, showering, washing and a large crowd of people in one place, you need to ventilate the room! And this not only solves the problem: "How to get rid of fogging plastic windows?", But also will create the right microclimate necessary for health.

What if the mold has crawled?

Up to this point, the article explained the reasons for the appearance of condensate and ways to prevent these "tears". What to do if you did not give proper attention to the wet windows, and the situation got a neglected form - moldy slopes?

The fogging of plastic windows, the causes of which are not so diverse, but require their detection, is the main source of mold appearance. When the slopes are already covered with black spots, the detection of some factors of their formation is not enough, now you should get rid of the plaque.

If this happened in the winter, daily regular airing of the room is ensured. Slopes are treated with chloric, alcoholic solutions. With the onset of summer, it is necessary to dismantle the slopes: remove the affected plaster patches. Then, after drying the repair area, it is necessary to treat them with an antiseptic and waterproofing agent.

Be sure to thoroughly ventilate the room after antifungal procedures. When the consequences of high humidity are removed, and the slopes are repaired, it is important not to let the causes of the "crying" windows again appear. And, means, it is necessary to constantly air a premise and to use absorbers of humidity.