Many Russians associate winter with fun holidays, ice skating and skiing, playing snowballs and, of course, with intricate frosty patterns on glass. True, in recent years, thanks to the widespread enthusiasm for installing plastic windows, this phenomenon has become rare. The main advantage of plastic profiles can be attributed to their ability to retain heat in the room and not let the cold into it. However, sometimes even in the case of ordering new frames in a trusted company in the winter, the windows freeze. This nuisance can significantly spoil life, as well as cause the appearance of fungus and mold in the house. Today we will look at why windows freeze, and also give tips on how to get rid of this problem once and for all.
The reasons for freezing windows
So, you finally decided to change the tired old frames to a new plastic profile. Most often, the owners try to do this in the summer season, when the installation will not cause any problems to the household. And then everyone at home rejoices in neat and beautiful double-glazed windows until the onset of cold weather. And then an unpleasant surprise awaits them. Waking up one morning, you will notice that the window has frozen. Of course, not all owners start to panic right away, but if the situation repeats itself regularly, then you should look at it as a real problem and try to find out its causes. And there may be several:
- incorrect installation;
- wide window sill;
- poor ventilation
- high humidity.
We will talk about each item in the list in more detail in the following sections of the article.
Incorrect installation of double-glazed windows
Most often, windows freeze due to the fact that the installers did their job poorly. Masters may not seal all joints and joints with foam, as a result, cold air from the street will penetrate into the house, and warm air will go outside. This temperature conflict will lead to freezing of ice on the window frames.
Also, the problem may lie in the absence of a thermal insulation layer. In the process, installers could intentionally or absolutely accidentally not lay this layer. As a result, the double-glazed window will be leaky and mixing of different temperatures will again cause the appearance of ice.
In some cases, the rubber bands on the window profile easily come off, and this causes the appearance of frosty patterns on the glass. To fix this problem is easiest, you just need to fix the gum, and the situation will be solved.
If the reason for the freezing of the windows lies in improper installation, you must immediately contact the company where the double-glazed windows were ordered. The wizards will correct their mistake by replacing the insulation or completely reinstalling the window profiles.
Window sill too wide
Many people dream of a wide windowsill, on which you can sit with a book in the evenings or arrange potted plants beautifully, but few people know that such a design leads to the fact that the window freezes with the onset of cold weather. If your window sill is wider than the standard, then heat transfer is disturbed near the window. Heated air does not reach the glass and condensation begins to accumulate on it, and then ice.
To get rid of ice, it is necessary to drill special holes in the windowsill or install grilles through which heated air will rise from under the windowsill up to the ceiling and heat the glass.
As soon as you do this, the window will stop freezing and will delight you even in the most severe frost with clean glasses.
Poor ventilation in the apartment
In many cases, windows freeze due to poor air circulation. The fact is that in many houses the old and worn ventilation system does not cope with its tasks. Over the years of use, it becomes clogged and does not provide free air circulation.
In this case, you can deal with the problem in several ways. The first does not require any additional costs, it involves frequent airing of the room. If you do this several times a day for about fifteen minutes, you will notice the loss of frosty patterns. However, not everyone can regularly engage in airing the apartment, so they put special ventilation valves. Their cost on average ranges between eighty dollars, but fresh air will constantly come into your home, and you will completely forget about the freezing of double-glazed windows.
High humidity
This reason is partially related to the previous one. Sometimes a mode is established in the rooms, in which a lot of moisture accumulates in the room. This may be due to poor ventilation or excessive tightness of the apartment. Sometimes tenants do not even notice before installing double-glazed windows that the room is too wet, because before everything was stretched out through the window slots.
You can get rid of this problem in the same ways that we indicated in the previous section of the article.
The window on the balcony froze: looking for reasons
In recent years, apartments often have balconies and balconies combined with kitchens or rooms. This enlarges the room and gives it a special look. In parallel with the repair, the owners are changing and double-glazed windows, installing new windows in the hope of a comfortable life. Even if you did not decide to combine a part of the apartment and a loggia, then most likely, in any case, during the repair process, install a new balcony group. But, unfortunately, the windows and doors on the balcony often freeze after the onset of cold weather. What is the cause of this problem and how to solve it, we will tell you now.
Specialists distinguish all the reasons in two groups. There is no need to worry too much about the former, and they are quite easily fixed, but the latter are already much more serious.
The first group of reasons can include temperature differences, excessive heating of the balcony, humidity and frequent opening of balcony doors. As you can see, such situations can occur in every home, which means you need to know how to deal with them. First of all, make sure that your balcony has good ventilation, this can be done by installing a forced ventilation system that will ensure good and constant air circulation. Also take care of heating the glass, but keep in mind that on an already installed balcony group it is quite difficult to do this. It is better to think about this in advance and put energy-efficient double-glazed windows, made according to the most modern technologies. Without going into details, we can say that such windows are able to accumulate heat and then give it away.
The second group of reasons can be given in the form of the following list:
- poor-quality windows;
- wide double-glazed windows;
- improperly selected window frames.
These reasons can be eliminated only with the involvement of professionals.
We solve the problem of frozen balconies
Experts advise installing three-chamber profiles on balconies. They are filled with vacuum and perfectly insulate from noise and cold. If you do not start saving and choose a similar profile for yourself, then you will protect the windows from freezing, since the temperature of the glasses will change very slowly.
In those cases when you installed the correct double-glazed windows, but still notice frosty patterns on the glass, perhaps the masters did the installation of deliberately defective windows. Such cases are quite rare, but still found in practice.
Excessively large double-glazed windows can also freeze. In this case, installing a high-quality split system or regular airing will help you.
Also, craftsmen always advise you to warm the balcony well and be sure to lay a warm floor. This will equalize the temperature indoors and on the balcony, and thus reduce the likelihood of frosty patterns.
Freezing windows from the inside
Fortunately, the windows inside freeze quite rarely, because this problem is fraught with the appearance of fungus and mold in the house. Bacteria and microorganisms will spread very quickly throughout the apartment, and getting rid of them will be very difficult. Therefore, as soon as you notice condensation inside the window, then immediately begin to solve the problem.
According to experts, there are only three reasons for it:
- single chamber profile;
- incorrect installation;
- window construction.
If you live in areas with cold winters and frequent winds, then choose for yourself at least a two-chamber profile without an aluminum frame. The latter becomes the place where the condensate collects, and then freezing begins.
We already wrote about the improper installation of windows, so we will not repeat it.
Our houses were built according to different projects, so often the window designs are very different. Masters usually close the slopes with decorative panels to create an appearance of integrity, but in fact, it is under these panels that condensate accumulates, which is a fertile environment for mold and bacteria.
Why do windows in a car freeze?
Good visibility when traveling by car is the guarantee of safety for all road users. But what if the window in the car froze, and the trip cannot be canceled? First of all, it is necessary to find out the reasons for the appearance of unpleasant frost on the glass.
Experts say that the main cause of freezing is increased humidity in the car. Initially, the windows fog up, and later freeze, turning the car into a potentially dangerous means of transportation. Therefore, try to reduce the humidity in the cabin in all possible ways:
- use textile mats instead of rubber mats in winter;
- Do not put snow on the shoes from the street into the salon;
- let the car warm up before driving;
- Be sure to arrange air ventilation in the cabin.
It is also recommended that before putting the car in the garage or in the parking lot, open the windows or doors for a few minutes. So you equalize the temperature inside and outside and get rid of the humidity in the car.