Window co gone bust, left me in a pickle! help please.

[JOETHETOE]

We built some apartments this year, they are now sold and the new owners are moved in. However the windows are saturated in condensation to a point that is more than normal and incorrect basically. Only problem is the company we used has now gone bust so we have no way of getting them to fix.

The site is full NHBC but I havent called them yet as I am not sure where I stand. Does anyone have any ideas, or know of a decent london based window co who may be able to come to site to see if they can remedy the problem. Its only 6 flats but as you can imagine replacing all the windows would not be cheap

Any help would be really appreciated!

[Hobo]

What company was it ? We had a similar issue a couple of months ago & managed to track down another company who could help.

[JOETHETOE]

Company was called Eco windows Sooo annoying!

I have been looking on the web and it seems that condensation is common in the winter, but would still like it checked out as this seems excessive!!

Which co did you use to remedy if you dont mind?

[Hobo]

I will dig it out later today, however it was not the same company.

In essence I just tracked down the salesman from the old company & he put me in touch with other another company. Have you tried this route ?

[richardxjr]

Perhaps check they haven't all closed the vents first. Condensation = not enough ventilation.

[JOETHETOE]

Cheers gents have checked the vents tec but will try the salesman route to see if he can advise. May be problematic though as I had a big fallout with the salesman.

thanks

Joe

[Hobo]

Replacing the glass per window is not actually that much.

I recall on a development the planning department asking for secondary glazing to all side windows, however we didn't want them so put in clear glass. I did enquire prior to ordering the cost implications of changing is required & it was peanuts. Was never asked to change though.

[JustinP1]

JOETHETOE said:

Company was called Eco windows Sooo annoying!

I have been looking on the web and it seems that condensation is common in the winter, but would still like it checked out as this seems excessive!!

Which co did you use to remedy if you dont mind?

If the condensation is inside double glazing then of course the windows are at fault.

If it is just on the inside of the window, then it is not the window at fault. Moisture builds up inside a sealed area. In winter there is internal warmth combined with people breathing and drying clothes. The moisture has to go somewhere and condenses on the coolest spot in the house. In most houses, that is the windows.

[vxsmithers]

as has been said, the actual glazed units are very cheap, it is the frames that cost the money (if it is the unit that has condensation inside it). Someone like Putney glass make up units, but there are many others in London.

[JOETHETOE]

most helpful thankyou all.

Have been on to NHBC who are fine with the situation and say it is very common in cold weather as mentioned above.

Looks like the problem will not need addressing.

Cheers again you lot

[Piglet]

You may find you have to tell the occupiers some fairly basic facts about these things...I had a number of tenants who complained that the bathroom was "damp" up when it was clear that they had the heating up high, were using the shower and the bath and that they had never opened the windows.

I had to hardwire the bathroom fan to the light switch with a 15 minute overrun to solve the problem with "damp" that was allegedly a problem. It must have been irritating as hell to live with but I some people aren't very bright!

[mas99]

Assuming that you are doing reasonably high quality builds and thus have decent levels of airtightness, you will probably find that installing MHRV would be a good thing.

As said, condensation inside the room is down to too much moisture in the air - usually due to cooking/clothes drying/showers with inadequate ventilation. MHRV will deal with this and actually results in an overall energy saving.

(and no I don't sell it)

[Wings]

With the greatest respect to the OP, and to those “experts” you have been in telephone contact with, both advice and a solution to the window condensation, can’t be addressed without first carry out an on site investigation.

My home, that I had built some 20 years ago, has on every winter day suffered with condensation on the windows, those ventilated windows consisting of double glazed units in timber frames.

It appears to me that the only way I can overcome the above condensation problem, is either for me to sit with the heating on and the windows open wide ajar, or sit with the windows open and wide ajar but no heating on, or remove the double glazed unit and install single pane glass, or install a very expensive air cooling/ventilating system.

[Deva Link]

Wings said:

It appears to me that the only way I can overcome the above condensation problem, is either for me to sit with the heating on and the windows open wide ajar, or sit with the windows open and wide ajar but no heating on,

..so in other words, increase the ventilation.

Wings said:

or remove the double glazed unit and install single pane glass,

..that would make things worse.

Wings said:

or install a very expensive air cooling/ventilating system.

You don't need cooling, you do need ventilation. Some systems (MHRV) recover heat from extracted air.

The thing is, if there's excess humidity then even if you somehow prevent it condensing on the windows you'll get damp and mould elsewhere in the house, especially areas where there's no air movement.

[Wings]

Deva Link said:

Wings said:

The thing is, if there's excess humidity then even if you somehow prevent it condensing on the windows you'll get damp and mould elsewhere in the house, especially areas where there's no air movement.

Agree, I found this with fitted well ventilated wardrobes, the same that were fixed to a “cold” wall, with the result that shoes/clothes within the same were constantly going mouldy. I eventually removed the fitted wardrobes, replacing the same with free standing wardrobes.

My point on the OP arranging a site investigation was to cover the issue of the above type of problem, and that there may be other possible construction issues that may allow moisture to travel into the property, and thereby the same exellerate the issue of condensation on the windows.