Humidity’s always been a pain in my old house, especially in the summer. I’m looking at Energy Star windows, but honestly, I’m not sure which ones actually do a good job with condensation. Some brands claim to be great for moisture, but I don’t want to drop a ton of cash and still have puddles on the sill. Anyone tried a specific window that really helped with humidity issues? Or is it more about how you install them?
- Been battling the same sweaty window drama in my 1960s ranch—summer’s basically a sauna with walls.
- Swapped to Andersen 400s (Energy Star) two years back. Helped, but didn’t totally kill the puddles.
- Biggest difference was when I had them foam-insulated during install... installer said it’s half window, half how tight you seal ‘em.
- Still get some fog on wild humidity days, but not Niagara Falls like before.
- If your house is drafty (like mine), no window alone is gonna fix it all. Just my two cents...
That’s super relatable—my place is a 1958 split-level and I’ve been chasing condensation for years. I hear you on the foam insulation making a difference; when I redid my front windows, the installer spent twice as long sealing them as actually setting the frames. It’s wild how much those little gaps matter. Still, like you said, on muggy days I’ll get some fog too, especially if I’ve got laundry drying inside or the AC isn’t running. Sometimes it feels like these old houses just want to sweat no matter what. Have you tried a dehumidifier, or does that not move the needle much for you?
Funny thing about dehumidifiers—I’ve seen folks swear by them, but honestly, I haven’t noticed a huge difference with window condensation in these older homes. I mean, they’ll help with the general damp feeling and musty smells, sure, but if your windows are still cold on the inside (especially those single-pane or even some double-pane units from the ‘90s), you’ll probably still get fog on really humid days. I remember one house where we put in top-of-the-line Energy Star casements, sealed every nook, and the homeowner still got some sweat on the glass when they cooked pasta or hung laundry to dry.
Sometimes I think it’s less about what brand you pick and more about how the whole system works together—ventilation, insulation, and even habits like leaving a bathroom door open after a hot shower. Foam insulation’s great, but if there’s nowhere for the moisture to go, it just finds your coldest surface... which is usually the window.
Not saying dehumidifiers are useless—they’re just not a silver bullet for this particular headache.
That’s a solid point about dehumidifiers not being the magic fix, especially in these drafty old houses. I’ve seen situations where people spent thousands on triple-pane Energy Star windows—really nice ones, like Marvin and Andersen—and still ended up with some condensation, especially when the kitchen’s busy or laundry’s hanging inside.
In my experience, the brand matters less than the actual U-factor and air leakage ratings. Some of those cheaper “Energy Star” windows barely meet the minimums and don’t make a huge difference. But even top brands can only do so much if the rest of the house is leaking air or trapping moisture. I always tell folks: look at your attic insulation, ventilation (especially in bathrooms and kitchens), and how tight your house is overall.
Installation plays a bigger role than most expect. If there’s a gap or poor sealing around the frame, moisture finds its way through. I’ve had callbacks where it was just sloppy caulking causing half the problem.
Honestly, sometimes it feels like you’re chasing your tail with this stuff. Anyone else ever notice that after a window upgrade, you start spotting other places where moisture pops up?
Honestly, sometimes it feels like you’re chasing your tail with this stuff.
Ha, you nailed it there. We put in fancy windows two winters ago—thought we’d solved it. Next thing, I’m wiping down the bathroom walls instead. I swear, the moisture just migrates to the next weak spot. Old houses keep you humble.
Yeah, it’s a bit of a whack-a-mole with moisture in old places. Folks think swapping out windows for Energy Star ones is the magic fix, but honestly, that’s just one piece. The condensation moves around because you’re changing how air and vapor move through the house. I’ve seen people drop ten grand on triple-pane windows, and then the bathroom mirror’s still dripping every morning.
Energy Star’s good for cutting drafts and keeping heat in, sure. I like Andersen and Marvin for solid performance—Marvin’s Ultrex line holds up well in cold climates, but you’re still gonna see some sweat if your humidity’s high inside. It’s not really about the brand as much as making sure the install is tight (no shortcuts with spray foam or flashing), and then dealing with what’s left—usually ventilation.
I had a client last year with a 1920s colonial. We put in high-end casements, but the upstairs bath started growing mildew after winter set in. Turned out their old fan was barely moving air. Swapped it for a bigger one, ran it longer, and things dried up fast. Sometimes it’s just getting more airflow where you need it.
If your bathroom walls are wet now, I’d check the vent fan—see if it actually pulls air (hold a tissue up to it). Might need to run it longer or even replace it. Same goes for kitchens and laundry rooms. Windows help, but they can’t do all the work alone.
Old houses are stubborn. You fix one draft, another pops up. But I guess that’s part of the charm... or headache, depending on the day.
Not sure I’d say windows are never the main culprit. I’ve seen a few cases where old single panes were so bad, just swapping them made a huge difference—especially in rooms with no vent fans at all. That said, you’re spot on about install quality. I’ve fixed plenty of “high-end” jobs where the flashing was sloppy, and moisture found its way in anyway. Sometimes it’s not even about ventilation, just basic water management. Every house throws its own curveballs.
Yeah, I’ve seen some real horror shows with window installs too—doesn’t matter how fancy the window is if water’s sneaking in behind it. You nailed it, every house has its own set of weird little issues. I swapped out some ancient single panes in my old place and the difference was wild, but only after I chased down a leaky sill that was letting rain in. Sometimes it really is just about tracking down where the water’s coming from and not getting distracted by all the fancy brochures.
- Gotta push back a bit—sometimes it’s not just leaks or install issues.
- My windows started sweating even after I put in new Energy Star ones. Turns out, indoor humidity was way too high, especially in winter.
- Even top-rated brands (I went with Andersen) can fog up if the ventilation isn’t sorted.
- Not saying a leaky sill isn’t a problem, but sometimes the “fancy brochures” are right about needing better glass or coatings for condensation.
- For me, tweaking the humidifier and running bathroom fans made just as much difference as the new windows.