Serious window condensation

[rcx132]

Wow that is a lot of information! Thank you all!

1. The corners of the bay are load bearing. The fitters put in some sort of structural pillars that form the corners of the bay windows. The pillars are not siliconed outside. I can silicone them.
2. A lot of condensation is forming on the window panes themselves, but why the corners are suffering so much worse is a question which some of you have given possible replies for.
3. I will try the dehumidifier.
4. We do dry clothes indoors, have many people in the house, have an open fire downstairs (generate H2O don't they?).
5. The two rooms that are suffering both have bay windows and don't have vents. Other rooms have vents and have no condensation at all but they also don't have bay windows.
6. I looked outside and the render is new and the sill appears to have water dripping off its "drip lip" as it should. The outside looks ok.
7. The wall in the upstairs bay is very thin, may even be stud wall (rest of house is 9" solid brick). Things are worst in the upstairs bay, but downstairs bay also has a problem and wall is 9" solid there.
8. The old windows were not airtight, they are knackered old double glazed

For now I will silicone up those corner pillars from the outside, use a dehumidifier, and monitor the issue some more to see exactly where the water is forming. Unfortunately it's in my lodgers room and he doesn't like me going in, but I will have to tell him he has no choice as there's a buildings issue.

 

[steveo3002]

lodger = shut up 24/7 vs other rooms doors open and breathing a bit more?

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Avoid drying clothes indoors, I reckon much of the problem will stem from that.

 

[Omniata]

The render could be an issue too if it bridges the DPC, does it?
There should be 3 courses exposed and a "lead lip" behind the bottom edge of the render...

 

[angellonewolf]

i used to have condesation years ago still get a bit now but there are 6 people in the house showers breathing etc

we cut it down to a small amonut by

when showering window open a inch to 2 inch door shut when finshed wipe the walls with window blade to get the exxese water off then shut door on exit and leave window open untill dry only takes a short time if you have the window open when having the shower

no drying stuff in side unless just come of the line out side and needs that bit extra 20 mins eg

leave trickle vents open and crack the small vent in the morning for a time to clear the air

we get very little water in the windows in the morning none down stairs and jjust a llittle in the bedrooms from sleeping beathing as every one has the door shuts i dont like it shut but haho i got them all to do all the other stuff so dont conplain about that now

 

[rcx132]

Heres the downstairs bay window from the outside.
The downstairs has bar bricks beneath the window (i.e. no render), so no way for the DPC to be breached. The DPC is ok, I recall checking it last summer.

Click to enlarge photos...

 

[Omniata]

Do the load bearing portion of the posts go through the cill, and can you get the outside cover off to check?

Would be worth gunning silicone behind the covers on the internal joints, allow it to cure then refit the covers...

Also, are there two gaps in the brickwork under the side frame in the second picture.
Do they go all the way through?

 

[normspanners]

That is a single brick wall not cavity, that is not helping IMO because the inside of the wall will be at virtually the outside temp apart from the heat soaked area from the rad and that heat will be wasted warming the world.
IMO I dont agree with radiators under windows , because especially with k2s they draw the air up from under the bottom where the damp air is !!and then deliver damp hot air between the window pane and the curtains asking for condensation to form on the glass. All my rads are back to back on internal walls so that the walls become warm from both sides and I dont suffer with a lot of condensation on the glass. When we close the curtains it helps stop the glass becoming a massif cold radiator into the room

 

[Omniata]

The whole idea of radiators under windows was born from their concept, the idea being, with single glazing, for the cold air to fall, be heated and then carried upwards, or behind a curtain, and distributed "over a room", cooling on the far side opposite the radiator, then being drawn back across the room towards the radiator to repeat.
Eventually the rooms overall temperature would rise and the air temperature would find a happy medium.

The concept worked very well for single glazing, not so well, as mentioned, for multi-chambered frame double glazing as it was no longer a "cold spot" when you drifted into the realm of A-rated frames and glass.