Here at Monmouthshire Conservatory Company, we recommend regulating the temperature of your home throughout the winter months; this includes that of your conservatory or orangery. This will help towards preventing any dampness that may occur in the colder weather.
What Is Condensation?
The air that surrounds us in our home contains some level of water vapour – invisible to the naked eye. The warmer the air, the more water vapour it can hold until a limit is reached, and the air becomes “saturated”. When saturated air comes into contact with a surface that is at a lower temperature than itself, the air is chilled on point of contact and thus sheds its surplus water vapour onto that surface. Not dissimilar to a person breathing onto a mirror.
How Can We Reduce Condensation?
- Provide natural ventilation through an opening section of the window or through a property ventilation unit.
- Open at least one window in each room for some part of the day to permit a change of air.
- Fix hoods over cookers and other equipment producing steam, ventilating them to the outside air.
- Ensure that bathrooms and kitchens are ventilated in accordance with National Standards.
- In cold weather, regulate the heating within the house to create a constant ambient temperature.
- Condensation can be caused at night by isolating the inner glass from the warm room air with heavy drawn curtains. To limit this and allow free passage of warm air to the glass, position curtains 15-20cm from the window. Ensure there are sufficient gaps at the top and bottom of the curtains to permit continuous circulation.
