General Chat

I don't post much on here nowadays. more of a lurker than a poster but do bob on occassionally.

Unusual topic but I am interested to know if anyone has as much problems with their conservatory as I do. In the cold weather it gets so steamed up the plastic turns spotty black. i've just spent the morning cleaning the white plastic around the edge of the windows. Does anyone else have lots of condensation in their conservatories. is there a cure to reduce it does anyone know? Going for lunch now but will be back later to read.

Janet

I havn`t had trouble with the plastic going black ,but mine does get steamed up if don`t leave a window slightly open.....when its very cold i sometimes run a little fan heater out there for a short time, or open up the doors from the kitchen so it gets the heat from the rest of the house...basically i think ventilation is the key.


Nicky

Hi Nicky,

Thank you for your reply. I hardly ever open the windows as I am worried about being broken into. But if I'm home in the day time it's not a problem.

We also have a fish tank in the house and i wonder if that may have something to do with it being so bad.

Janet

we had the vent access put into the new windows that were installed last year . Its in the top part of the frame and can be opened or closed. We like them cos can get ventilation even when its too cold or windy to open a window. Maybe worth considering for a couple of the windows

Jello this won't stop the condensation but it will cut it down a lot. It sounds laughable but I tried it and it works. Put a plastic container with a piece of kitchen roll on bottom and filled with salt on a window sill, the salt collects the moisture in the air. I was told by my window cleaner who said every house he went to had them on their window sills in kitchen.

Caz xx

Do you mean that you have a fish tank in the conservatory? They dont give off much moisture as the water is not that hot, even near a saltwater tank, but the tank itself will suffer from algae if exposed to that much light. I agree with the salt idea, or you can buy special crystals to go in a container. Ventilation is the best answer.

I had a tropical fish tank in a single glazed conservatory years ago and that steamed up more with the tank in it. Having said that the conservatory at my current house still steams up in the winter even though it is double glazed and has small slider window vents above all the top windows. I think I make it worse by putting washing on the airer in there when it is raining. I will be trying the salt idea!

Forgot to say yesterday that you can dry the salt off in the microwave once it is damp. I came home from a stay in hospital once to find the dish nearly overflowing with water, so it carries on working when wet somehow.

Caz xx

I know this won't apply to your conservatory but a friend of mine has had special glass put into the roof of his conservatory and it has cut the heat down in summer and kept it a bit warmer in the winter although there are a couple of fan heaters if required. Instead of ordering new blinds for the roof , which would have cost a fortune, he also put some special solar film on the glass itself. This also has helped to level the extreme temperature which cause the condensation.
A bonus, which is nothing to do with the temperature is that the solar film makes it impossible for the birds in the garden to see inside. He already has had a kestrel sat a few inches away from him, oblivious to his presence. Also he has had a blue tit tapping at its own reflection whilst my friend started tapping the other side of the glass.- hope you sort out your problem- JLe