Upgrading Insulation to Keep Windows Moisture-free

Modern home construction techniques haven't solved every problem. In fact, they've made some of them worse. Modern houses usually have more problems with moisture, molds, and indoor pollutants than older homes because they've been insulated mostly for energy conservation purposes, restricting ventilation. This isn't a bad thing, energy conservation is more important than ventilation for most homeowners. One of the most common problems with inadequate ventilation is moisture build up on your windows. It's a fair price to pay for an energy-efficient home. There are many ways in which you may be able to fix this problem that don't involve the involved and costly process of upgrading your insulation.

Identify the Source of the Moisture
You need to determine how and where the moisture is getting into the house first. Do you have a leak, a drainage problem, or just too big of a temperature difference between indoors and outside without enough ventilation? Also check to see if your lifestyle is causing the problem. For example, frequent or long showers in an unventilated bathroom can prevent your windows from being moisture-free. If you can't identify the source, you may need to hire a contractor who specializes in home repair or water damage restoration. This contractor should be willing to research the source(s) of the moisture and take steps to prevent it from accumulating in the house.

Moisture Free Windows
Once you know where the water is coming from, you can start to solve the problem. This could include new drainage in the yard to divert water away from the house, a sump pump under the house, adding fans to the attic, bathroom or kitchen, adding more attic vents, or a combination thereof. It may involve a process of elimination, trying one thing at a time and waiting to see if it works before trying another step.

Upgrading Insulation: Find Another Way
You should make every attempt to find and eliminate the moisture at its source. Upgrading insulation by replacing your existing insulation to allow for greater ventilation is extremely expensive and offers no guarantee to fix the problem. If you have poor or no insulation (in your garage, for example), then insulation may help and will have other benefits as well. To rip out perfectly good insulation without exhaustively searching for alternate ways to eliminate the moisture is a home improvement blunder.

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