What causes condensation in your home
It is a common misconception that windows produce condensation. This is not true, windows cannot produce condensation. Condensation is formed when moisture in the air comes into contact with a cooler surface such as a window.
The main causes of condensation are:
You and your family’s activity within your home.
Take a look at how much moisture is generated from everyday house hold activities.
Household Activity | Average moisture added to the indoor air |
Cooking | 3.0 litres day |
Clothes washing | 500 ml per day |
Showers and baths | 1.5 litres per day per person |
Dishes | 1.0 litre per day |
Clothes drying (unvented) | 5.0 litres per load |
Gas heater (unflued) | 1.0 litre per hour |
Breathing | 20ml per hour per person |
Pot plants | As much as you give them |
The house is closed in during construction in a particularly wet season
The amount of moisture that is released while the house dries out and trapped within the home of the first year is significant (read Build Magazine Article) up to a 1,000 litres can be released from the slab alone, let alone framing, carpet etc. This applies to most new houses – the solution for this is that they live in the house for 12-months and if the problem still exists contact their builder. It is a hard one to sell to the proud owner of a new home, but in most cases the problem simply goes away once the moisture within all the building products dries out.
Unique location
The only other problem is when the site has a unique location, e.g. amongst trees down in a hollow.