Submitted by teddythepooh99 t3_10p9q2x in DIY
amoore031184 t1_j6j3zm7 wrote
You can ventilate the room, which is kind of hard in the winter, and expensive.
You can dehumidify the room.
You can circulate the air in the room better, this may or may not solve the problem but its worth a try.
Or, you can buy those plastic window covers that stick to the frame with double sided tape. Its clear plastic film you hit with a hair dryer afterward. It shrinks the film and makes it nice and tight so you can still see out the windows no problem. Frostking is the brand I usually see in the stores.
guy_guyerson t1_j6jwnkv wrote
I bet ventilating briefly with an open window is going to be cheaper than running a dehumidifier unless the heat is insanely expensive (baseboard electric at a high electric rate or something).
The Germans are super into this.
> "The correct way to ventilate a home is to employ the Stoßlüften, or shock ventilation method. You open your windows completely for three minutes if it's windy, five to 10 minutes if it's not," said Raymond Galvin, a researcher at the University of Aachen and Cambridge, who has written extensively about energy efficiency in Germany.
https://www.politico.eu/article/germanys-energy-efficiency-open-windows-ventilation/
In my experience, if you open a window in cold weather you can watch a hygrometer tick down very quickly in real time. Once the humidity is down, you're home free unless you create more without using an exhaust fan (bath or kitchen, for example) or the weather warms up with accompanying high humidity again. Then it's time for another quick shock.
neutralbystander11 t1_j6k077w wrote
Sometimes, you kinda need it though? My house does this when it's super cold and the interior humidity is only at like 30%RH. I'd rather have wet windows than it get any drier in here
oconnellc t1_j6k2k2h wrote
> you kinda need it though? My house does this when it's super cold and the interior humid
Run a small fan on the lowest setting. Just the tiniest bit of air moving will do wonders for getting rid of this.
MagicSPA t1_j6jyhij wrote
I moved into my own flat a few years ago and discovered the principle of Stoßlüften completely independently! When it's windy, I absolutely open the windows and doors for a few minutes, cold or not, just to change the air.
teuchuno t1_j6k9x4s wrote
Aye, every morning I go round, open all the curtains and the windows, then close the windows half an hour or so later - no problems. If it's really cold I just mop the condensation off with a cloth (but still open the windows).
Admittedly this is North Wales so not as cold as Chicago, but our houses in the UK are so old and shite that it's still necessary.
daiaomori t1_j6k5frl wrote
Oh yes, we are. Stosslüften FTW!
Blackoutsmackout t1_j6jrxfd wrote
I used tape and plastic on a window like this, solved the issue.
missionbeach t1_j6jwo7n wrote
And it adds an extra layer of insulation against the cold.
DancingDust t1_j6k7rtf wrote
I second that. This method works really well with condensation issue.
TwoIdleHands t1_j6jxl3z wrote
I second this. I used to use 3M on some huge windows. Works great, no condensation, and has the added benefit of keeping your place warmer so you spend less on heating. Plus the tape always came off fine in the spring (important for a rental!). Just make sure everything is dry before you apply it otherwise you’re losing in the moisture.
blitzzerg t1_j6k2z4m wrote
We always install the frostking plastic and then the condensation happens in the plastic. It happens less often though
gw2master t1_j6k5zrk wrote
> Or, you can buy those plastic window covers that stick to the frame with double sided tape. Its clear plastic film you hit with a hair dryer afterward.
I highly recommend this for lowering your heating bill in the winter.
pilotdog68 t1_j6jydk0 wrote
I'm not sure this solves the problem. That plastic is for reducing drafts. If you shrink it tight it will stop a draft but the surface will be just as cold as the window, and you will get condensation on the plastic itself.
If you don't shrink it tight, then the trapped air will still be humid
Hagenaar t1_j6jz7qy wrote
A plastic film acts like an extra pane in a multipane window. Even though it's just air trapped between plastic and glass (not argon) the added space acts as an additional insulation layer.
pilotdog68 t1_j6k9agn wrote
But that is only if you don't shrink it tight. If you do, the plastic is in contact with window, no air gap right?
So you would want to shrink it some but not all the way, and preferably seal it with dry air inside or else you'll just get condensation inside the plastic.
Hagenaar t1_j6kasq0 wrote
We're talking about different products I just realized.
Consumer install window film is stuck on with two sided tape to the inside of the frame. This creates a gap from the windows which are recessed from the plane of the wall surface. You put the plastic over the window trim like so.
brainwater314 t1_j6k3333 wrote
I don't think these trap air. Instead, I think it has to do with the "impedance mismatch" between the glass and plastic making the heat not conduct as well. Put simply, heat doesn't conduct well between different materials. Imagine one material is a bunch of marbles bouncing around, and another is a bunch of bowling balls bouncing around. The energy wouldn't transfer well when the marbles and bowling balls hit each other.
Pleasant_Carpenter37 t1_j6k5qj9 wrote
They do trap air. You tape them to the frame, so there's an air layer between the window pane and the plastic.
It sounds like you're describing something that you'd stick directly to the glass. That's another option, but AFAIK it helps less than the air-trap type of plastic sheeting.
Hagenaar t1_j6k5hz3 wrote
Plastic film works the same as a glass storm window. There is an element of a physical substance separating the warmer and cooler air, but it's largely the trapped air because it conducts heat so poorly, it's an invisible heat blanket.
BlueSun288 t1_j6k6b3p wrote
> plastic window covers that stick to the frame with double sided tape
Those do leave residue that is pretty annoying to remove so make sure to keep cleanup in mind.
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