Ventilation and Indoor Climate
All new windows are airtight. This often means that you need to change your habits when getting new windows, as you might have had old and draughty ones previously. The old, draughty windows made sure that your home was naturally ventilated, even when you did not want it.
Now you have to make sure that your home is ventilated properly. It is a myth that it wastes energy and money to ventilate your home - you just have to do it correctly.
Leave a window or door wide open - it is ideal with a little draught. This way you replace the warm and moist air in the home with cold and dry air from the outside in less than 10 minutes. During this short period of time there will be no cooling of heavy items like furniture, floors and ceilings and the loss of energy will be at a minimum. Proper ventilation is especially important in new buildings. Damp from new walls and floors can stay in the home for up to two years.
If you make sure that your home is thoroughly ventilated a couple of times every day - eg. bedrooms and bathrooms in the morning and kitchen, dining room and living room in the evening - you will ensure that you and your family have a pleasant and healthy indoor living climate.
CONDENSATION ON WINDOWS
Condensation on panes is often a sign of too little ventilation - but not always. It depends on whether the condensation is placed on the inside, the outside or between the two pieces of glass in the pane.
CONDENSATION ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE WINDOW – A GOOD THING
When condensation is placed on the outside of the window, it proves that it is an energy pane and that it is working the way it should.
In some certain types of weather - for example, on a clear and frosty night, where there is a large heat dissipation from the earth into the air - there can be times in the morning where the outside surface of the pane is colder than the air outside. This can result in external condensation in the middle of the pane. This type of condensation will disappear when the temperature outside rises during the day.
This type of condensation is caused by the energy pane. The inner piece of glass has a non-visible coating that reflects the heat back into the room. The space between the two pieces of glass is filled with argon an inert gas. This means that heat from the house cannot touch the outer piece of glass and heat it up. That is why it is possible for the outside of the energy pane to become colder than the air outside.
Condensation on the outside of the pane cannot arise on old traditional panes. On old types of panes there will always be some heat transferred through the glass to heat up the outer piece of glass.
CONDENSATION ON THE INSIDE OF THE WINDOW – VENTILATE!
If condensation is placed on the inside of the pane it is a sign that the relative humidity in the home is too high. The humidity should be brought down if you want to avoid rot, damage caused by a damp and unhealthy indoorclimate.
CONDENSATION BETWEEN THE TWO PIECES OF GLASS – THE SEALED UNIT IS PUNCTURED!
Condensation can also appear inside the pane between the two pieces of glass. This is a sign that the sealed unit is punctured and should be replaced.
