I've had these aluminum windows installed for a couple months now, and they're driving me nuts. Whenever it's rainy or humid out, they start sweating like crazy... water dripping down the frames, pooling on the sills. It's honestly getting ridiculous. I'm wiping them down every morning like it's my new hobby, you know? Just wondering if this is normal or if I got stuck with some cheap junk. Anyone else dealing with this issue?
Sounds like classic condensation issues to me. Aluminum's a great conductor, so when you get warm, humid air hitting the cooler metal frame, bam... instant waterworks. Do your windows have thermal breaks? They're basically insulating strips inside the frame that help cut down on temperature transfer. If yours don't, that could explain why it's so bad. Also, how's your indoor humidity level? I had similar issues until I got a dehumidifier running regularly—made a surprising difference. Might be worth checking into that route before you toss 'em out entirely.
Yeah, thermal breaks definitely help, but honestly, aluminum windows can still be tricky in humid climates. I've seen plenty of cases where even decent thermal breaks didn't fully solve the condensation issue. Like you mentioned, indoor humidity is key—keeping it below 50% usually helps a ton. Also, check your ventilation setup; sometimes just improving airflow around the windows can make a noticeable difference. Had a client once who rearranged furniture to let air circulate better, and it actually helped quite a bit... go figure.
Yeah, I've had aluminum windows in two different houses, and honestly, humidity was always an uphill battle. Thermal breaks helped somewhat, but never totally fixed it. Weirdly enough, adding heavier curtains seemed to trap moisture even more... ended up switching to lighter ones and noticed some improvement.
- Had this exact issue at my old place—aluminum windows + humidity = daily window wiping routine.
- Tried thermal films, slight improvement but still had puddles forming.
- Agree about heavy curtains making it worse...felt like a mini rainforest behind them.
- Ended up just accepting it as my morning cardio until we moved and got vinyl frames. Life changer, honestly.
"Tried thermal films, slight improvement but still had puddles forming."
Yeah, thermal films can be hit or miss. Had aluminum windows in my first apartment and went through the same daily wipe-down routine. Here's what I found helped a bit more:
1. Check your indoor humidity levels—if they're consistently above 50%, you're fighting an uphill battle. A decent dehumidifier can make a noticeable difference.
2. Make sure your exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathroom are actually venting outside, not just recirculating air around the room (you'd be surprised how often that's overlooked).
3. If you haven't already, try weatherstripping around the frames to reduce drafts and temperature differences.
Honestly though, aluminum frames are notorious for condensation issues because they conduct heat so easily. Vinyl or fiberglass frames are definitely better long-term solutions if you're able to upgrade eventually. Until then...yeah, morning cardio it is.
Thermal films are honestly just a band-aid fix in my experience. Aluminum windows aren't always the villain here—I've seen plenty of homes with aluminum frames and minimal condensation. Usually, it's more about poor installation or lack of thermal breaks in older frames. Before shelling out for vinyl or fiberglass, I'd double-check if your aluminum frames have thermal breaks. If they don't, yeah...you're probably stuck wiping windows till you upgrade. But if they do, tweaking humidity and ventilation might actually solve most of your issues.
Had a similar issue at my old place—aluminum windows with thermal breaks, but still had condensation. Turned out the bathroom fan wasn't venting properly...ever checked your ventilation setup? Might be worth a quick look before investing in new windows.
- Aluminum windows aren't always the culprit—seen plenty of cases where humidity issues were more about indoor airflow.
- Have you checked if your kitchen exhaust is venting outside properly too? Cooking moisture can sneak up on you...
- Might save you some hassle (and cash) down the line.
Good points about the kitchen exhaust—seen that plenty of times myself. But I'm curious, have you also checked your bathroom ventilation? Had a client once who blamed his aluminum windows for months, only to find out his bathroom fan was venting straight into the attic...talk about moisture buildup. Sometimes it's these sneaky little things we overlook that cause the biggest headaches later on.