Ours does it, and its a pane.....!

I'm thinking ducted gas heating is the main cause. It seems to be a very 'wet' heat rather than the dryness of wood heating.

Anyone get it with wood heating?

I would have to agree in all cases to the above comments and add further that whilst there are ways to reduce or ( almost ) eliminate condensation problems to almost zero , the trade offs comes down to balancing out the three main considerations with any product as to aesthetics / cost and practicality .

First of all , understanding how the problem is caused.

With moist landen air coming into contact with cold glass to form condensation, then one thought would be to place a barrier between the two.

As most of the problems stems with the use of single glazed windows in combination of high moisture levels ; simply changing the windows to doubled glazing will not necessarily garantee to completely eliminate the problem ,plus the high cost . Also , one must understand the differences between the different types of double glazing framework that's available .

These are generally timber / plastic and aluminium .

With aluminium frames ,this can then be split into two types. One being made with a thermal break ( like a gasket ) between the outer and inner frame work that improves the insulation qualities of the aluminium frames and reduces the normally cold frames of forming ( or least , reducing ) condensation on them .

Whereas the standard frames are more of a problem.

Then there's the option for additional inert gasses within the encapsulated glass which inturn, increases insulation even further. Although , all these improvements come at a higher price. So one has to balance out the pro's and con's as well as the maintenance costs of timber frames and wether the plastic frames will last long enough in our Australian climate .

Plastic sheeting such as Perspex or similar could be retro - fitted in some applications . Although installation limitations can apply depending on type and style of window frames .

There are businesses that apply magnetic strips around the perimeter of both window frames and plastic sheeting so making it easier to remove and refit ,but still a pricy option .

One could obtain the components for DIY applications to keep costs down with some improvements in sound proofing your windows at the same time.

Generally 3mm thick plastic sheets are used with 4 mm or more on larger areas .

A variation to the magnetic strips is to use a high quality closed cell foam strips with retaining clips similar to those used to retain fly screens ,may be an option for some.

Another option that I've seen by a customer here in Tasmania is the use of a plastic shrink wrap product that's like adding glad wrap to the window frames that's then shrunk with a hair drier . Thus ,forming a insulation barrier.

Basically designed as a temporary solution to be replace each season. But again , whilst a cheap option , does have its limitations.

A customer of mine has tried this option with good results and has lasted for a few seasons without being replaced, so far.

The down side to these options is with opening windows . The fitting of these items may not be possible due to window opening mechanisms that would get in the way.

Various methods of de- humifiers and heat transfer equipment are another option to rid condensation .

Using a dry heat source like wood fires compared to moisture laden gas and oil burning products would be helpful too.

Generally ,what ever heat source is used, the areas furtherest from the heat source will suffer most from condensation, so air flow to push the heat towards those areas can help.

Having ceiling fans are generally cheap to run with improved cooling during the summer months.

As a window tinter , the experience I've gained has seen tinted glass and window film applications help whilst the sun shines on them .

As they cause the glass to absorb the suns heat ,the glass temperature will increase which will inturn, rid condensation but little to help after hours and very overcast days . Although, some film choices have the benifit of reflecting the heat ( the infra red light ) back into a room to improve the insulation .

Overall , one may have to concider using more than one option to gain overall satisfaction .

A well designed building to suit the location would help this problem but problematic an expensive for many with old buildings .

For those who have just read this should read further down to another comment with some more info & suggestions .

We had this problem in New Zealand and put in a constant pressure ventilation system (we did not use HRV, but one of their competitors) and it erased the problem completely. Some air from the roof is pumped into the house bringing in drier air. We had a heater attached to ours which raised the temperature ever so slightly but did ensure constant air exchange, without having a window open when the temperature was really cold outside. If it is available where you are, shop around for providers, as HRV use some strange sales techniques and don't allow women to make the decision. I had to have my husband with me, before they would discuss it with me. I went with the competition for that reason.

Interesting. I live in the Southern US and don't have that problem. Maybe because we use storm windows. Do you have this type window in Oz?

http://www.broscobookofdesigns.com/bod/bod2012#pg30

If not, maybe this site can explain what I mean better than I can.

Solution: move to Queensland! Seriously though (yeah, Queensland's fine without you) it was huge problem back in damp cold lower NZ. So bad that in some of those older homes (oceans cascading off sill boards!) I have trouble imagining any reasonable way of eliminating it.

What I'm wondering about and what is missing from this discussion is that with aluminium joinery like in the picture the sill is designed for this (??), the weep hole is in the photo, so if the windows are installed correctly the water will drain out and not enter the wall cavity. So what's the actual issue? Perhaps maintenance is required to stop weep hole getting blocked over time with dust etc? Or do the weep holes not cope with the volume of condensate? Or is the actual issue here just winter dampness, which is its own massive topic of discussion? Remember the water that forms on your window was already in your room to begin with just like the water coming out your dehumidifier.

Can we get some input from people in damp winter climes who have windows which cope with heavy condensation? And what about double glazing? Has it been an improvement for anyone?

We had "crying" windows at our previous house. Recently, bought a house with an HRV system and have not had any problems with "crying" windows. The HRV system also helps with heating and cooling the house, too.

Crying windows can contribute to mould growth and sick building syndrome. I've had health issues with mould and, I too, must wipe my windows each morning in winter. However, we are building an eco-friendly, allergy-free home and our designer has specified thermally broken double glazed windows. It's the thermally broken part that stops the condensation forming: it is usually a spacer such as PVC pipe placed in the window frame to stop the cold (outside) and heat (inside) from causing moisture buildup. You could also try running a dehumidifier to keep the moisture down. Due to the cost of thermally broken windows, UPVC windows are about half the price of aluminium; this included double glazing, which can help with energy efficiency. We are getting ours from here: http://www.zenitwindows.com.au They are European, which means they're made to a better standard. Good luck!

As an additional comment to my earlier one.

I did speak to a person who runs a business installing Perspex type sheeting ; having some 30 years or so experince trying to solve problems such as this ; advised me that the process is somewhat limited to installing the magnetic strips to the frames and not to the glass perimeter .

The reason being that the direct sun light hitting the glue that bonds the magnetic strip can break down prematurely causing problems.

( You have to remember that any glue used or other brands concidered as an alternative , has to be suitable to glue two different substrates ; i.e glass to plastics / timber to plastics / aluminium to plastics and plastic to plastic if plastic frames are used ,etc .

Secondly , there is usually an ideal air gap size required.

Glass in doubled glazed units have an ideal gap size as too much or too little will effect the overall performance . Usually , the thickness of the magnetic strips used , may not offer this when bonded directly too the glass rather than the frames . And ideally , some moisture absorbing crystals should be used between the plastic an glass to rid or minimise condensation from forming between the two for as long as possible. Therefore , removable applications such as this style of after market retro fitting no matter what method you use , should have the ability to remove and wipe your windows clean before re-application.

Any protrusions like window openings / handles ,etc. does limit what you can do.

I had the opportunity to get a job to install some Perspex over some old double timber framed door ways that had colonial timber bars .

I used some foam rubber strip with its double side tape to the perimeter of the plastic sheet and fitted some clear plastic turn buckles ; such as used to retain fly screens in place ; around the perimeter of the doors to hold in place. .

The quantity of fixtures and spacing will depend on how soft the foam used and how thick the plastic sheet is . Naturally the thinner plastic would require more due to its flexibility . Nevertheless , a quick an cost effective way to solve a problem for both insulation an to minimise condensation .

As to comments by others previously , if you can stop or reduce the problem at its source then many of the other options could be avoided . But again , somewhere costs are going to come into play .

For those who might concider the option I described , should make sure that they use a good quality foam or "closed celled " foam as the cheap ones normally sourced from the usual hardware stores will perish rather quickly .

Secondly not to over tighten any retaining fixtures as the main aim is to keep an even but firm pressure evenly along the perimeter of the plastic sheet to minimise moist laden air getting through any gaps .

When installing such , best to do on dry sunny days when things are as dry as possible to help minimise moisture getting trapped between them . Also , a trick of the trade idea is to use a hair dryer and blow hot air between the window and plastic sheeting just as your about to lay the last edge ( corner ) down . This is to dry off as much moisture between the two and ,hopefully , keep the installation from building up any condensation for as long as possible .

For those who wish to try the DIY magnetic strip method , to check out the web sites on the technical issues and spec sheets before you concider this method as there are different types and potential problems will occure if you use the wrong type .

One of which is ; plastic expands and shrinks far greater than glass does . So, any movement of the plastic sheeting can push or pull the magnetic strips out of alignment resulting in the two opposing magnet strips pushing themselves apart ,thus , causing the plastic sheet to fall off your window. ( LIFE WAS NOT MEANT TO BE EASY !!!)

Another idea that may be worth experimenting with is the use of magnetic door fridge seals and thin steel strips . Particularly if it's for a small job.

You may be able to obtain the magnetic strips from off the roll and simply mitre cut an glue. But remember that plastic sheeting is often more costly than glass .

I hope this info may offer some one some ideas to concider .

I too responded to the previous post to which Luke is referring.
It certainly isn't an easy fix!!

d.steel points out the weep holes in aluminium windows and yes they are still there and do work but the crying windows I have a problem with more, are the windows in the home that open and not the fixed windows.

The fixed window is set back thus allowing any moisture to head down and out the weep holes as intended, but it doesn't all run out and become perfectly dry. If you don't get around to wiping the windows pretty much every day,
then you end up with a green stagnant sludge, even though the weep hole isnt blocked and that can't be healthy!!!

Then there's the sliding window that is forward of the fixed window and if there is excessive crying, as in my home, the water takes the path of least resistance and passes the smallest of gaps that the water might be able to get through, but not likely, as it isn't even a gap that you could slide a single sheet of paper into and the water travels straight onto the sill and a worst case scenario is that the sill can eventually rot!!

Leave the window slightly ajar here on this country property, will still allow rain to get in and then there is a wet sill, curtain and even carpet, as even the slightest gap will allow this to happen. My curtains now are black with mould and it is soul destroying for someone that likes a perfectly clean home, lets not even talk about the mould on the walls!!!

Thankyou to isellev for mentioning the HRV system, I will definitely look into it and as for the salesperson not willing to talk to you as a female, OMG, I thought we were over this type of treatment to women in 2105!!!.....so glad you went with the oposition, hope you told the company that!!!!

Sorry for the rant but I an helping hubby build our home and I make allot of the phone calls for the home, as hubby doesn't like that side of it and I haven't experienced that kind of discrimination but I would sure have a say if I did ha-ha

ANYWAY,

We chose for our home for financial reasons primarilly, not to have double glazed windows and if I'm going to possibly be faced with the same problem, then I must have a solution that will work. I have never heard of this type of system which is why I just love Houzz, as I now feel like I have hope. I have a standard 22* pitched roof with plenty of internal space and air that could be recirculated.

I do think whoever suggested the dehumidifier could be on the right track too, as I understand it is just hot meating cold and that must be addressed.

Cheers,

Barbara

Hi Barbara, I know here in Tasmania that one company charges about $3000

To sup/ fit heat transfer unit with heat exchangers that are supplied & fitted and uses electronic controls to transfer via roof space . Have not gone into it in detail but some earlier research shows that most of the parts could be sourced and done DIY a lot cheaper if on a budget

Barbara--Since moving into this house, about six months ago, we have found an improvement in one of my kid's health, who suffers from asthma, hayfever and a mould allergy. I think the HRV system has really helped, as we now do not have crying windows and the air that is circulated throughout the house by the HRV system is filtered. The HRV system uses air in your roof space and recirculates it throughout the house. Dependent upon the temperature at which you set the thermostat, you could be recirculating warm/hot air or cool air. It is not heating or cooling the air, simply using air that is already hotter or cooler. So, in the summer at night, cool air is circulated throughout the house. In winter, the warmer air in the roof during the day is circulated throughout the house. HRV is considered a supplemental system--to be used in addition to other heating and cooling systems. It reuses air that is already cooled or heated and recirculates it. It reduces your energy costs, as recirculating air is cheaper than having to heat or cool it.

As for the company itself, I cannot comment on their sales techniques, as we did not purchase the system. The previous owners did. We have had it serviced recently and I handled the call as well as speaking with the technician on the day. I had no problems dealing with them.

I had a look at HRC's website and found a page on condensation in homes, which may interest you: http://www.hrv.com.au/condensation

Good luck with your decision.

I'd recommend my Solar Air Heating thread. This heating type runs for free, and helps prevent mould.

Thanks ladies very much for the extra info, I will definitely look into all my options especially a passive system like solar!!

Hi Barbara, I feel your pane. I had to suffer from crying windows for over three years in our oldhouse. I too was given suggestions to open my windows in winter. Brrr!
This may not be a good idea for you, given the cost, but when we built our new house we decided to go double glazing with wooden frames inside for good termal insulation. We were treated like mad as none would install DG windows then except for the noisy areas *this was 18 years ago). Since then no moisture inside!!

@evee1,
Too late for double glazing and we have aluminium windows, never wanted timber for the maintenence but that aside, I really think that the ventilation suggested should do the trick, if we even have the problem in our new home when it's finished.
Right now we are living in a 7sq relocatable home with a flat roof, it is a tiny comfortable home but has nothing else going for it, however, it's all we have and more than some people.
Can't do much for this home but will leave no stone unturned for the new home!!
Cheers,
Barbara

Sadly, my weeping windows have now started breeding mould spores. So, using a suggestion from a Houzzer on another thread, I wiped them all down with vinegar.

Have some chips while you have the bottle out.

Hydrogen peroxide is supposed to stop mold growing back.

I know it's only treating the symptom, but for what it's worth here's a "mould expert"'s opinion from the ABC (North Queensland):

http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2012/03/29/3466721.htm

I was going to recommend clove oil, which we used somewhat successfully on constantly mouldy louvre cupboard doors (on humid days they'd drip) on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, but he seems to recommend against it for a couple of reasons.

Oil of cloves. I forgot about that - my wife is always going on about that. Old wive's tale perhaps? ;)

The expert doesn't actually say the clove oil doesn't work, but rather that it may stain fabric and furniture, and some people might have reactions to it - we never had an issue on painted wood with the former, and on cupboard doors it wasn't really an issue with the latter. But replacing the louvre doors was definitely the better option - they were pretty ugly. :)

I was reared in Dublin & despite what my Italian husband says we do actually see the sun on occasion. When I read of the problem I had massive flash backs to getting up on a freezing school morning and the window panes had condensation. Our windows were the old iron windows with the beautiful brass handles & opened and closed with the bar. As soon as the windows were opened it disappeared. They also had the weep holes which had to be kept clear. one thing I will never forget is the smell it caused, not very strong but it was there. Now being a child I thought this was great for drawing stick men until I got a clip across the ear, because when they dried the drawings were left behind & that was another job to do.Anyway I enjoyed that ramble but ventilation is definately the key. I now live in Sydney where it does freeze and a window in every room is left open hence no condensation problem. Also when living in Dublin the bedrooms had no heating and we had linoleum on the floors, the problem simply being two little girls sharing a double bed and breathing.

Although crying windows are an issue its better that the moisture is on the window than other cold places like the back of your wardrobes where it well get your clothes mouldy.

With regards to wood fires being drier its because the fire increases the ventilation by 'Sucking' air from outside which then is used for combustion before going up the chimney.

My crying windows, have already ruined the curtains which are completely stained black from mould and the blind too is spotted with mould spores. I feel I can't do a thing to fix this problem and could obviously buy a new blind and curtains however, they will end up the same as the old ones.
Walls too have mould spores visible!!

I can only hope that when we move into our new home that we are not faced with the same problems!!

Any un-flued flame is an issue in increasing condensation unless there is good ventilation.

Did you know that each person typically lose 0.8litres/day of water into the air.

See http://www.anewhouse.com.au/2013/08/condensation for some more information

@brennz,
There have been a few suggestions made about leaving the window slightly ajar and I think I could live with that if I found the new house suffered from crying windows too.
WE plan to have a wood heater ducted where possible together with electric heating/cooling as a back up.
Gosh I can only hope the new house is better than where we currently live!!
I have even considered a dehumidifier in the bedroom if it helped here at present, as I could then happily purchase a new blind and curtain and create a healthier bedroom until we eventually move out.

I have noticed and that a lot of people have been considering the causes and also some resolutions. However what has not been considered is that the house is 'saturated' to the point it cannot hold any more moisture without the temperature increase. Yes, the solutions will maintain a reduced level within the breathing environment but the house and its structure still needs drying out. Solar air collectors are fantastic dehumidifiers, however if your moisture is emanating form the roof due to a previous leak, or shower air being pumped into roof space(250ml per hot shower), then those roof air units will not work. You need to correctly exchange the roof air during the day and stagnate at night. If you have a pond or heavy dampness int the soil or subfloor beneath your flooring or adjacent 'dug out' walls, then this is where needs to be addressed with high volume or warm dry air. Both these systems tackle the 'problem' at source, in turn eliminating all the surrounding cases and issues. Gyproc or plasterboard to walls and ceilings will draw moisture from one side and transfer it to the other 'environmental moisture balance', so dry these areas out and the centre (internals) will follow. You will also end up with a warmer and easier house to heat due to the massive lack of moisture in the structure that you no longer have to heat... A wet house structure could hold 60 litres of excess moisture..

Sorry to say, this problem is also a similar occurrence in new homes due to builders overlooking the true 'cause'. : )

So, I finally moved into my new place... and my double glazed windows have been crying too!! Wahh, wahh.

I've noticed that it usually happens when it's really cold outside and really warm inside and usually when I have heaps of "humans" in the house (breathing, doing other human things).

I've only noticed it on the upstairs windows. Heat rises?

Lately, I have left the bathroom window (upstairs) open just a bit and this seems to have eliminated the "crying".... but still gonna keep any eye on it.

I have split system heating.

Neeno,

I have commented earlier on this thread about the same problem and I decided to try leaving any and all windows slightly ajar unless it's raining, as suggested by another person and it has reduced the crying remarkably to the point that I no longer have to use at least two towels a day to dry not only the windows but the sills too.

There are only two of us in this little home but it really did have a huge impact on my window coverings which are ruined and although they need to be replaced, I now know that there is a solution that is easy to do and I can control perhaps, more than prevent this from being as bad as it used to be!

Hey Barbara,

It's a simple solution and it makes sense... but of course there is concern that rain will get in and wet the house or warmth escaping the house.. but it's actually not that bad, the house is still warm. My windows are slim awning windows so no rain has gotten in, so far!

I have really hot showers, so having the window slightly open helps air the bathroom out.

This is my fav thread!! The 'windows in pane' comment gets me every time!

Hi Neeno,

Yes agree.

I would still rather have dry or dryer windows, than what I've had and leaving the windows slightly ajar hasn't seemed to have made a huge difference on the feel in the home.

Hi Neeno, Barbara, you need to look for the source of moisture... With the double glazing, you should not be susceptible to the condensation. If it is a new house then its the structural materials drying out. If it snot, you have or had water getting into the inner structure. Does your shower air get vented externally,? If not it is pumping all the damp air into your roof space, which then condenses and drips onto your ceiling, then gets absorbed internally. Are your gutters all clean in a way that they don't overflow into your eaves - which will then evaporate to the rest of the roof space.? Are all the window frames sealed at the brickwork, are all cracks sealed on the walls, especially where the prevailing wind/rains hit? Normal moisture will not cause crying on your panes, only sweating......

We live in a cold damp climate, single glazing and crying windows... especially because it had a crappy radiator. The walls and floor would also be damp so the first thing was to replace the heater.

Some heaters create moisture and some heaters will dry the air... its complex but its worth looking into when choosing a heater. We have a pellet heater which has mostly eliminated the issue. It is on a timer so it turns itself off and back on before the coldest time before dawn. The other thing that helped was installing good quality thermal backed curtains... if we could have found some decent valances or like a neighbour did construct a wooden box over the top of the curtains that would have worked also. You need to separate the the cool air hitting the glass from the warm... so yes double glazing should solve the problem but we aren't staying here long enough to bother with that.

A lot of the time it could just be an issue of good airflow and ventilation in the house.

Some window guys claimed they could fix the problem, but I saw right through that.

@solarventi

I'm in a relocatable hardiplank home, all of 7 squares with a flat roof, so no idea what's up there and single glazed windows with a Daiken reverse cycle heater/cooler.

We have no water getting in, electric vent above the shower that we always use even though it's freezing to have on when showering, we also have a wirlie in the roof for extra ventilation.

I cannot argue with your thoughts but I have what I have and have only found the solution was to open the windows slightly.

Hopefully our new home is better but I won't know till it's finished.

@bigreader,

Thanks for the positives and I will very much enjoy our new home which doesn't have double glaxzed windows, as I don't like them but that's another story.

I have exactly the same problem you have with your home as I mentioned earlier, ruined mouldy curtains in the bedroom and mould spores growing in the sliding window channels but since opening the windows slightly, everything has dried up, fantastic!!!

@Barbara, I think your crying windows are probably more a ventilation issue. Maybe getting some vents installed down the track could solve the problem?

Last night after posting this I wandered around and was very pleased that even in the kitchen which has no curtains at all there was no moisture on the windows. They used to be so wet and create puddles on the sills. I love my pellet heater!

@fianou,

Well we are building our dream home as you know, so I hope not to have these problems but I am prepared to.

Homes used to always have vents but now , no home has them installed, nor are they are requirement strange as I remember the family home did have them.

Anyway, for now the slightly ajar windows helps heaps and we really don't want to dwell on this little home money wise but it's a shame it has been built in such a fashion and my windows now too are almost completely dry.

Cheers,

Barbara

Hi Babara, Firstly what is above your head is guarteed no insulation, so this would cause direct condensing between the cold night air and the metal roof.

Where your electric shower goes??? I am guessing that he while might has something to do with that. If not the shower air goes to the roof space, and your while lets the hight air in. Put a bag over the whirlei at nights or for winter.

If the house is temporary, go out and buy some shade cloth to cover the roof- does matter how you fix it. This will both insulate from night cold and day heat..

Now - if you run the daiken heater during midday until the rooms get hot (moisture will be absorbed into the air space), then turn it off, open a window either side of the house to flush all the hot air out for a few minutes. Then close up and the moisture will be in the air you evacuated and not in the building :) :)

"I'm in a relocatable hardiplank home, all of 7 squares with a flat roof, so no idea what's up there and single glazed windows with a Daiken reverse cycle heater/cooler.

We have no water getting in, electric vent above the shower that we always use even though it's freezing to have on when showering, we also have a wirlie in the roof for extra ventilation.

I cannot argue with your thoughts but I have what I have and have only found the solution was to open the windows slightly."

@Solarvari,

Thanks for your input, but as I mentioned I'm not willing to spend any money on this home and can live with the problem temporarily.

As for the roof of this home, there is in fact insulation as hubby saw it was there when he cut the hole into the colourbond sheeting to put the whirlie onto the roof and there is also insulation in the walls as well.

We don't run the heater in the middle of the day as we are out all day because we are working on the construction of the new home.

If it's cold as daylight ends, then we switch the heater on and with the windows slightly ajar, there is room for any airbourne moisture to escape but it's just a poorly built home, being relocatable and whilst I think we can improve the problem, we certainly can't solve it long term without some serious money being spent.

Have popped in quick for afternoon tea and back out again to continue fitting out the new bathroom.

Cheers,

Barbara

:)

Forgot to mention for your hubby, . If the whirlies is the only opening in the roof , then the only thing happening is that night dew is entering the whirlies and settling inside the cavity i.e. dampness. This will happen every night. It is essential for ventilation to work adequately, that every square inch out you want, there has to be somewhere for a square inch of replacement air to enter... Otherwise the outlet is not an outlet but just hole in your roof.

As our natural gas ducted heating burner has a glitch at the moment and isn't working, we've resorted to use our little free standing electric panel heater. Surprise surprise, no window condensation at all. The house isn't as warm in every room as it was with the ducted but the living area does eventually warm up to a degree or two with what we usually have it at.

@Barbara We always look at issues in our house as a good learning for building our dream home.... so glad its your old home with the issues and not your new one! Ventilation is totally overlooked in houses these days. I personally don't think vents work and prefer to have a house with good natural air flow from windows etc...

I fixed my "crying windows" issue cheaply and easily by tackling the opposite side of the equation - the degree of coldness on the outside of the window which causes condensation on the window interior. The condensation is from the outside of the window becoming so cold which causes the warmer interior air to condensate.
The problem occurs in cold months when I don't want to open windows and lose the warmth inside. So I looked instead at how I can REDUCE the COLDNESS on the EXTERIOR of the GLASS. I don't have an eave on the west side of my house so overnight cold air moving down the bricks from above to the windows causes the condensation to be so much worse on these windows. I used to have old metal awnings on the windows which broke so I purchased cheap fabric ones from Bunnings and got them wide and long enough to have a good overlap across windows, especially at the bottom. It's a hassle to pull them down every night and lift every morning, but it completely stops the condensation inside! A friend of mine has the metal exterior window shutters which she can operate from the interior of her house to close/open and they also prevent condensation... Hope this helps as an alternative option.

And on the subject of vinegar treatment for mould - apparently bleach products on mould don't get rid of it because they only remove the top surface of mould (and bleach the colour of it so it "appears" to have gone) however mould has roots which are very difficult to kill off and mould just re-grows. Vinegar instead actually "feeds" the mould and causes such a feeding frenzy that the mould eats itself completely killing the entire growth which is kind of gross but very effective. So when vinegar is applied it's not to remove the mould - just apply and leave it alone and let it do it's work. The information I obtained on removing mould with vinegar was in relation to eradicating mould from walls and it stated to dilute the vinegar slightly with water. Note: however it stated vinegar can be damaging to concrete, so don't use on a concrete surface.

Old post but thought I'd update.

We have finally moved into our forever home and on occasions, obviously in winter, we still have crying window (sob).

We have the wet windows on the south side of the home which is the shady side so not unexpected but also on the north side where we still get lovely warm winter sunlight streaming in and I still do have all my windows slightly cracked open and it does help. Incidentally I have glass bricks in our bathroom on the south side and there is no condensation on this window at all.

Our home has insulation in both the exterior and interior walls and we have double insulation in our roof, so factor 7 unlike the usual factor 3.5 not that it probably has any bearing on the moisture issue.

We have a 1.8mtr wide veranda surrounding the entire home so the windows are some what protected from the elements but when the temperature gets fairly low and can be almost zero in winter, it seems impossible to prevent this crying window sindrome but I can live with the fact it is fairly easy and quick to remove with a Karcher window vac now, brilliant little machine at $99 and it only takes a few minutes.

We have an exhaust fan in both bathrooms that is vented outside so the moist air does not go into the roof space and in fact even my rangehood ducting is vented outside too!!

We even had condensation in the roof cavity as well to the point of having a rainforest up there but since fitting another whirlie into the roof making it three in total now, it appears to have almost entirely eradicated that problem.

I can say catagorically now that crying windows are a very difficult problem to eradicate in very cold climates where obviously the inside of the home being heated at night is going to create the perfect conditions for the condensation to settle with the inside being far wamer than the outside and there in lies the problem which canot be changed. I have blinds and curtains that I close ever day before dark but it makes no difference.

As I have aluminium windows and doors throughout, so no timber anywhere, it isn't such an issue for damage but annoying none the less but life goes on and I do so love my beautiful new home!!