major window problems---help!!!

[blondie30]

Hello, I am new to this forum and would greatly appreciate some advice. My husband and I moved into a home last year outside of the Philadelphia area. The house was built in 1990. During the course of the winter, our windows have a great deal on condensation on the inside, with actual freezing along the edges of some windows ( by this I mean there is actually ICE on the inside!!) I did have a local window company come out and look at the windows and he told me that basically they are "home depot junk" The windows have nothing on them as to which company even made them--nothing!! So....can the problem be that the windows are actually "junk" or can it be an installation problem with ALL of them?? They are double hung, vinyl... Anyone have any recommendations as to which company to use to replace them without breaking the bank??

Thanks for any suggestions--they are greatly appreciated...

[Windows on Washington]

Blondie,

The salesperson's verbiage is probably a bit strong given that he is angling for a contract him/herself. That being said, a window from the 90's and one that was new construction is probably not winning any awards for performance benchmarks.

So you know, just about any window (in a double pane) can have ice form on it in the right conditions.

What is the Relative Humidity level in the home?

A newer window with Low-e and even better, triple pane, will do a much better job of fighting off the ice and condensation.

You are in the center of a bunch of good window manufacturers in Philly. Start searching around and you will likely find the product that you need and will fit your home well.

[Delaware Mike]

On something 25-years old even if you were to find an ID sticker with legible print on it there is a very good chance that the window manufacturer is out of business or out of warranty. There would be no fix anyway as the quality and technology of that window married with bad installation techniques that we see in new construction leads to all of the problems that you're currently experiencing.

I'm assuming that the existing windows are aluminum or vinyl? Like WOW stated checking the humidity levels first makes sense and you can order a cheap hygrometer online or at a place like Depot or Lowes.

Check back with us as to your findings.

[blondie30]

The relative humidity is set at 43% according to the thermostat. any recommendations on a reliable, trust worthy window installer to call for an estimate --that won't "break the bank"?? We are new to the area and don't know who to call

[Delaware Mike]

Roughly, what part of the Philly area? Us local guys that grew up near Philly refer to Philly as our home when referencing were we are from when traveling outside our local area.

[Windows on Washington]

43% is way to high at this time of year and with these temps.

Again...your windows (1990's builders grade vinyl) are probably due for update.

Delaware Mike (good to see you buddy) is your man in the Philly area.

[masterext]

Its quite simple, you need new/ more efficient windows. There is no way a low grade window from the 1990's can be made more efficient.
Further, i also recommend contacting Delaware Mike since Philly is in his backyard. He is a true craftsman and his knowledge is unparalleled.

[HomeSealed]

Good advice above, in that you'll want to attack to areas here to address the condensation.

1) 43% RH is too high. Do a search for dew point calculator to see the relationship between temperature, RH, and dew point (the point where condensation forms).

2) You are probably due for new windows. Much like cars in the late 70's and through the 80's, there is not a level of performance on most of the window products that were pushed out in the 90's.

A more efficient window will give you a warmer glass surface, and reducing the moisture in the air will give you a lower RH. Those two combined will drastically reduce if not eliminate your condensation issue.

[blondie30]

Delaware Mike---I am from Eagleville... Can you email me your info??

[Delaware Mike]

Blondi30,

Direct email exchanging and posting contact information isn't possible due the nature of these forums. It's pretty complicated to consumers to fully explain the rules, but they're in place to keep professionals on the boards that are truly committed to posting factual information, industry experience, and advice without hidden and sleazy agendas.

If you are able to post up some interior/exterior pictures we may be able to give you more accurate advice about what the next steps that you may take in order to find a solution to your window problems. I don't currently have my "get a quote" icon active like some of my peers. If we were to need to get in touch with one another, it's something that I could explore again. I actually have a service to perform in several weeks on some windows that we installed back in 2008 out in Trappe which is pretty close to you.