Understanding Condensation & How Your Aluminium Doors and Windows Can Help to Mitigate It

Condensation can cause cosmetic damage, structural issues, and health problems in your home. Understanding its causes and knowing how your aluminium doors and windows can help mitigate condensation is essential for developing a healthy home. 

As homes become more airtight due to advances in building technology and improved thermal performance, excess indoor humidity can become trapped, leading to damp conditions and mould growth. While windows often show the effects of condensation first, moisture on windows usually signals a broader issue, such as inadequate wall insulation or poor ventilation. 

To address condensation, it is essential to ensure that your aluminium doors and windows contribute to the solution. Energy-efficient aluminium joinery and high-quality windows and doors can help manage indoor humidity and reduce condensation. This not only lowers your heating bills but also creates a warmer, drier, healthier, and more comfortable living environment. 

Where does condensation come from? 

Air always contains moisture, both indoors and outdoors. Inside the home, moisture levels increase due to activities such as cooking, showering, and drying clothes, as well as from indoor plants, unflued gas heaters, and even breathing. New houses often have higher moisture levels initially because building materials like timber and concrete take time to stabilise. Additionally, moisture levels are influenced by your location and climate, with varying humidity levels across New Zealand. 

How to mitigate condensation with your windows and doors? 

There are several ways your high-quality windows and doors can help manage condensation in your upcoming project. Supplying aluminium joinery across Auckland, renowned for its humidity and increased condensation, we recommend the following features to minimise condensation: 

Ventilation 

Ventilation is crucial for maintaining a drier home, especially in newer houses that are often more airtight and have materials that need time to settle. To reduce condensation, it is beneficial to keep windows slightly open during the day, even if just a small amount. Passive ventilation options allow you to secure your aluminium windows frames while still enabling airflow, helping to balance indoor air quality and moisture levels effectively. 

Double Glazing 

Aluminium double-glazed windows reduce condensation by keeping the inner glass surface warmer. We use The AGP System®, which integrates argon gas and an ATS (Architectural Thermal Spacer) between the glass panes to create effective insulating barriers. This minimises heat transfer between the inside and outside, keeping the inner pane closer to room temperature and significantly reducing the likelihood of condensation on the aluminium doors and windows. 

Click here to discover The AGP System® double glazing. 

Thermally Broken Aluminium Frames 

Our thermally broken aluminium frames, ThermalHEART®, feature a polyamide strip embedded in the core of the window system. This thermal break functions similarly to our double glazing in minimising condensation, effectively preventing heat transfer, reducing condensation formation on windows. 

Partnering with Windowmakers ensures that each window and door manufactured is designed to minimise condensation. When combined, AGP System® glass and ThermalHEART® frames achieve nearly a 95% increase in thermal performance, significantly reducing the risk of condensation in your home. 

Learn more about our ThermalHeart+ package, featuring thermally broken window frames and advanced double-glazed technology. Click here for details. 

Keeping On Top of Maintenance. 

Despite preventative measures, condensation can still form on aluminium doors and windows, especially in Auckland’s humid climate. This excess moisture can damage weatherproofing seals, cause corrosion or stains on aluminium surfaces, and promote mold growth on surrounding areas. To prevent these issues and keep your aluminium joinery in optimal condition, click here to access our maintenance resources. 

With over 20 years of experience, the Windowmakers team is well-versed in industry best practices and stays up to date with all requirements for using aluminium doors and windows to minimise condensation, particularly in areas where humidity is a top priority. 

Click here to get in touch with our team today.