Condensation on the Windows Every Morning? Here's What the Readings Show
Every morning, same thing. You pull back the curtain and the glass is running with water. Maybe it's just the windows. Maybe there's a black speckle starting in the corner of the frame, or the wardrobe against that wall always smells a bit damp no matter how often you air it out.
You've probably already tried something - wiping it down, cracking a window, running a dehumidifier overnight. It helps a bit. It doesn't stop it coming back. That's common, and it isn't a sign you're doing something wrong. It does mean the room is worth measuring rather than wiped down again.
I'm Joe Heafey, a licensed builder in Coffs Harbour, NSW licence 332487C. I record humidity and surface temperature readings through your home, room by room, so you can see what was recorded in each room and how those readings compare with each other. No product to sell you on the spot. Just the record, in writing.
Why condensation happens, in general terms
Condensation forms when warm, moist air meets a cold surface - a window pane, an external wall, a corner with poor airflow behind furniture. That's the general mechanism and it's true in any house. What's going on in your house - how it's built, how it's used, how it's ventilated, where the cold spots are - is specific to your place, and I won't tell you which factor is behind it without measuring first. Even once I've measured, what I can give you is what was recorded and how the points compare. The question of what is behind that, and what to do about it, is a conversation for whoever handles the work.
What I record in your home
Using a hygrometer and a thermal camera, I go room by room and record indoor humidity and surface temperatures, taking in windows, external walls, ceilings and any corners or wardrobes you've flagged as trouble spots. Every reading is recorded alongside the other readings taken in the same house on the same day, so each point can be read as a comparative reading rather than against a number off the internet. Where a reading stands out against the others recorded that day, further investigation may be warranted, and I look closer at that spot while I'm there.
What you get in the report
A written report showing humidity and surface temperature readings room by room, with photos and thermal images so you can see the point each reading came from. It sets out what was recorded in each room, and which points were elevated against the others recorded that day. If the next step is a tradesperson - a window installer, an insulation contractor, a ventilation specialist - the report gives them a starting point rather than starting from nothing.
What I don't do
I measure and I report. I do not repair windows, install ventilation, or carry out any of the remedial work. That's a deliberate line - it means what I record isn't shaped by what I'd like to sell you afterwards. You take the report to whoever does that work, get a couple of quotes, and make the call with the record in hand rather than working out from scratch which room to start in.
Is this you?
- Windows fogged or running with water most winter mornings
- Black spots starting in a corner, on a frame, or along a ceiling line
- A wardrobe or cupboard against an external wall that's always slightly damp
- A bedroom or bathroom that never seems to dry out properly
- You've tried a dehumidifier or extra ventilation and it's only partly helped
If that's your house, a free 15-minute call is the quickest way to work out whether a Home Performance Baseline makes sense for you.
Questions people ask
What causes condensation in my house?
In general, it's warm moist air meeting a cold surface. What's behind that in your specific house - construction, ventilation, how rooms are used - is something the readings can point you toward, not something I'll speculate about over the phone.
Will better ventilation stop it?
Reduced airflow and higher humidity are often recorded in the same rooms where condensation is reported, so ventilation is frequently part of the conversation. I don't install ventilation and I don't do that work myself. What I record can show you which rooms carried elevated readings on the day, which is useful information for whoever you engage.
Do you test for mould?
No. I do not identify mould, test it, sample it or remove it, and I do not determine health risk. Identifying mould is a qualified specialist's work. If mould has started in a corner, I can record the humidity and surface temperature at that point so the conditions on the day are on record.
How is this different to just buying a dehumidifier?
They do different jobs. A dehumidifier changes the air in the room it is standing in. I do not change anything. I record humidity and surface temperature at points through the house, so you can see which rooms carried elevated readings on the day and how the points compare. Plenty of people end up doing both.
What does it cost?
The Home Performance Baseline starts at $1,815 inc GST for a small standard single storey home. What your house needs depends on its size and layout, which is what the call sorts out.
What happens after the call?
I talk through what you're seeing and where, work out a scope of what needs measuring, and give you a price in writing. Nothing is booked on that call.
Fifteen minutes on the phone is enough to work out whether measuring your house is worth doing.