What to do if condensation accumulates on the front door of a private house

Only residents of apartment buildings and people who were lucky with the quality of the installation, the design of the door leaf itself, and at the same time the design of the house have never encountered such a problem as condensation on the front door. What did you think: there are quite a lot of factors that need to be taken into account to eliminate the problem, so in search of the source of condensation, you will have to inspect and analyze the structure on several fronts.

Causes of condensation

Metal doors are most often susceptible to fogging. The reason lies in their high thermal conductivity (compared to wood, it is 300 times higher for metal). Therefore, as soon as you install a metal street door in a private house, it will begin to become covered with condensation on the inside, cold air will be drawn from it, and water droplets will turn into frost or ice.

Why does this happen? One reason could be:

temperature difference between surfaces and air. The metal, in this case, becomes a catalyst that changes the state of aggregation of water, so it freezes.

Interesting: it’s like pouring liquid on hot metal - it will simply evaporate. But in this situation, the opposite is true - when water hits the supercooled surface of the door, it turns into ice;

the door is poorly insulated or not insulated at all;
poor insulation of the box. Condensation on the frame and on the door leaf itself can occur due to poor insulation of the frame and slopes, as well as due to the presence of cracks in them;
lack of tightness. If you feel that there is a draft “walking” near the door, this is a sign that the door leaf does not fit tightly to the door frame and the tightness between them is broken;
the presence of cold bridges - through door elements (frame, stiffeners, lock), which are not insulated and easily conduct cold air inside the house. The cold passes through these bridges and the moisture is converted into water droplets;

low air temperature in an unheated vestibule or corridor;
high humidity. Condensation can appear even in a heated room. The problem is that the higher the humidity levels, the smaller the temperature difference required for the door surface to become wet.

Anti-fogging agents for outdoor metal doors: names, method of application

You can combat condensation on the surface of the front door using products for car enthusiasts. Products that prevent the formation of condensation on the windshield of a car are suitable.

Product overview:

Anti-fog Very Lube. This is a can that contains 200 ml of solution. The product is applied once a month to a dry, clean door surface. Please note that the surface must be completely dry. Wash, dry it and only then apply the product.
Novax . This is also a means that prevents the formation of condensation on the surface. Apply to the inside of the front door. After applying the product, the surface is wiped with microfiber for glass or smooth surfaces.
Shell Antifog. An anti-fog agent that prevents the formation of condensation. It also removes fingerprints and cleans the surface. Therefore, it is necessary to apply the product for the first time to clean the door, and then shake the bottle again and apply a thin layer, evenly distributing it with microfiber.
Atas Rocks . Good anti-fog, 200 ml bottle. Spray onto the surface at a distance of 20 cm from it and spread with a soft cloth. Apply once a week.
Mathil Black line. Anti-fog agent, prevents condensation. In order to prevent the accumulation of water, it is necessary to apply the product both outside and inside the front door, spreading evenly with a clean sponge or napkin.

Remember, these products do not eliminate the cause of condensation, but only form a special film on the surface of the door that changes surface tension. Because of this, condensation still forms, but only rolls off the surface and forms a puddle of water under the door. This method will not save you from the appearance of fungus or damage to the integrity of the door. Before using such means, it is necessary to solve the problem of insufficient insulation and thermal insulation of the door.

Entrance doors
The formation of condensation on the surface of the entrance door is a common problem faced by residents of private houses. In order to combat this problem, you can equip a vestibule. If this is not possible, take care to insulate the doors and also insulate cold bridges.

Consequences of inaction

If owners do not pay attention to the formation of condensation, this will lead to:

Serious freezing of the canvas.
Increased heat loss. Such a door will transfer all the heat outside.
Deformations of the door frame, slopes and leaf. As a result: while saving on eliminating the cause of condensation, you will have to spend money on a new entrance door. Is it worth it - you decide?

What to do?

What to do in such a situation depends on what exact reasons led to the problem. In some cases, you need to think about what to cover (from sealants or insulation) the box or canvas. In other cases, you need to think about how to reduce the humidity in the room.

Condensation on the door (often the problem occurs in winter)

Let's look at the main causes of the problem and ways to solve them:

poorly executed or completely absent insulation of the canvas - you need to either replace the canvas with a special one with existing insulation, or install the insulation yourself (cavities can be carefully treated with polyurethane foam as part of improvised insulation);
poorly organized insulation of the box - we use mineral wool for insulation, or again we treat it with polyurethane foam (besides, make sure that the doorway is properly foamed: usually the problem is with it);
poor tightness, presence of cracks - use a rubber seal (preferably self-adhesive) to eliminate it;
cold bridges through the lock - place a sliding cover on the lock, and it is advisable not to use locks with vertical bolts;
if the humidity inside is too high, you should either heat more or increase air exchange;
if drops of moisture appear on an apartment door without a vestibule, you need to look for a way to raise the temperature in the entrance: close the entrance doors, close the windows on the landings;
if drops of moisture appear on an apartment door with a vestibule, you need to look for a way to raise the temperature in the vestibule: perhaps install some kind of simple heater there, or insulate its door leaf.

How to get rid of condensation on a door?

To get rid of freezing and the formation of water droplets on the door, take into account exactly where the cold bridge appears.

If cold air and a small draft enters through the lock, then install a special cover with a moving lid on it, which will close the well and keep the cold out. To use the lock, you just need to move the cover to the side. This option will not be able to completely eliminate condensation, but will reduce its occurrence to a minimum.

You can also stick a sealing self-adhesive rubber band around the entire perimeter of the canvas. The tape is applied to the junction of the leaf and the door frame, forming double protection. In this way, you will reliably seal possible cracks and prevent the formation of drafts.

If hard-to-reach cracks and gaps between the doorway and the leaf were poorly sealed during installation, then sealing tape will not help. You need to take serious measures and open the slopes or door frame, seal them with polyurethane foam, insulate them with mineral wool and sealant. Then bring the slope back to its original form, sealing it with plastic or finishing materials.

It is advisable to insulate the front door with foam plastic from the outside and cover it with decorative materials that are resistant to precipitation. Another simpler option is to paint the door with a special liquid insulation - this is a paint that creates a thin film that repels water and saves heat indoors (it is usually used to insulate pipes).

Ways to combat the phenomenon

If iron doors fog up, it is recommended to perform a number of manipulations to eliminate this problem:

Seal the entrance door around the perimeter of the leaf. For this, it is best to use a rubber cord. It is attached to the porch. In some door designs, the seal is installed during production. This measure will avoid the formation of drafts.
Thermal insulation of the door leaf. Various types of insulation are used, the most popular of which are polystyrene foam and mineral wool. It is important to choose a material of suitable thickness. The joints of the strips must be connected with construction tape.
It is recommended to close the keyhole with a special cover. This will not interfere with the operation of the locking mechanism, but will also prevent cold air from penetrating through a leak in the lock.
Door frame seal. It is necessary to fill the space between the door frame and the entrance opening. For this purpose, polyurethane foam is used. If the material has lost its properties, it must be removed from the gap between the box and the opening and another portion of foam must be added. However, in this case, it is necessary to putty the updated areas, which will avoid loss of properties of the material.
Insulation of door slopes. To do this, it is necessary to dismantle the slopes, secure material with thermal insulation properties, and then install them again.
It is necessary to control the humidity level in the house. If natural circulation is not effective enough, supply and exhaust ventilation should be installed.

Preventing condensation

The appearance of condensation on a metal entrance door in a private home can be prevented if, during the installation process, you ensure that the door installers properly seal all the cracks and gaps with polyurethane foam. Even a gap of just 1 mm can increase over time and lead to fogging and freezing of the entire structure.

Advice: agree, 1 g of prevention is better than 1 kg of treatment! Likewise, it is better to be meticulous during the installation process than to later spend a lot of time and money searching for and fixing a problem that occurs at the wrong time - in winter

What to do if all the methods you tried did not help you? This means that the problem lies in the material of the door itself. It is simply made of low-quality material that is not capable of retaining heat. In this case, it makes sense to think about installing a new door that would meet the thermal insulation requirements.

Several ways to prevent fogging

To be absolutely sure that sweating of the entrance metal door will not happen again, and also, in order to get rid of any drafts, you can take additional preventive measures:

If there are door slopes on the street side, they need to be insulated. If there are no slopes, it is recommended to make them. It would be optimal to make slopes from foam plastic as part of the general work on insulating the house; if the procedure is carried out separately, the front door is insulated first, leaving the rest of the insulation work until a more appropriate time. It is recommended to seal the outside of the seam between the door opening and the frame and foam the door block.
A second wooden entrance door, installed additionally, will completely prevent any cold from entering, creating an additional layer separating the street from the house. In this way, there is a complete separation of air masses from the street and warm air from the house. Neither drafts nor condensation will appear in the area where the metal door is located.

There is another unique way to get rid of fogging; the issue is solved by using a special paint that helps save energy. This material is also called liquid insulation, and is most often used to protect pipelines. A layer of such paint will prevent air from entering the cold metal surface. As a result, water will have nowhere to accumulate, which means the metal door will stop sweating.

Additional measures

As additional measures to protect against condensation, you can try the following tips:

install a canopy or canopy over the front door. It will partially prevent direct contact of snow or rain on the outer door leaf;
when buying a new door, pay attention to whether it is coated with a special treatment - polymers that are resistant to temperature changes and precipitation;
make a vestibule, and install a second door made of wood or plastic, but not metal. Then condensation will not appear, since the temperature difference will not be so large. Heat and humid air from living rooms will not flow into the corridor;
if there is no vestibule and there is no way to make one, then install small heating devices or heaters in the corridor. They will heat the door, slopes and frame, preventing the appearance of water drops.

What to do to prevent the front door from sweating

There are several ways to eliminate this undesirable phenomenon. Having determined the reason, you can choose the most suitable one for your case, but it is recommended to carry out all the procedures sequentially in order to achieve maximum results and forever forget what a foggy door is. It is necessary to adhere to the following algorithm of actions:

Ensure reliable sealing. All seams and gaps should be treated with foam for installation work. If the door is installed by specialists, they seal it. If the owner does the installation himself, then care should be taken about this.

Thermally insulate. This process can be complete or partial. If there is insulation, then it may need to be replaced with a better one. The internal cavity can be filled with thermal insulation material. The door is also insulated around the perimeter or individual parts are covered (for example, between the base and the threshold).

Seal the lock gap. To do this, you will need to purchase a special cover for the well, which, if necessary, simply moves to the side.

Additionally protect the door. This can be done using special paint or cladding. And a product such as liquid insulation will help solve two problems at once: eliminate the appearance of condensation and retain heat.

Install an additional door. This will become a kind of vestibule. It is better to give preference to wood, since its thermal conductivity is lower than that of metal. But it should be noted that this is a rather expensive way to solve the problem of sweating.

Prevention of wet windows

To prevent windows from fogging up, it is necessary to take a number of preventive measures.

For example:

Eliminate the wide window sill, replacing it with a narrow analogue.
Install a through ventilation valve under the window sill.

Ventilation valve

Remove greenery and flowers from the window opening or from the room.
Increase the room temperature or increase the number of heating radiator sections.
To prevent freezing of the room, insulate the walls of the house outside.
Move massive furniture away from the windows and remove the blinds so as not to cut off warm air flows from reaching the glass.
When living in a private house or on the first floor of a high-rise building, systematically check and clean the basement, since this place is the main source of dampness.
Do micro-ventilation regularly when the room humidity is high.

Improving air circulation in the room, removing excess moisture with anti-grease preparations, and properly washing surfaces will help solve the problem of foggy windows. With proper processing, the glass will remain clean and transparent for a long time, and moderate humidity and comfort will be established in the house.

Choosing purchased options

If you do not have the opportunity or time to prepare “homemade” products for cleaning plastic, buy ready-made formulations in the store. Choose trusted companies that create quality products. This will prevent possible damage to the plastic. Read reviews from other consumers to choose the most optimal composition.

Washing plastic material

The principle of using the store-bought product and the preferred dosages are written on the packaging as instructions for use. It is not recommended to ignore them. Among all kinds of products, choose gel-like options. Abrasive particles are excluded from the composition. Their presence will lead to scratches on the plastic. As a result, dirt will accumulate inside scratches or cracks, which will lead to the loss of the attractive appearance of the structure.

If you notice streaks or water streaks appearing during the cleaning process, change the cloth you are using. It is better to give preference to microfiber, flannel or choose fleece. The rag should be damp all the time until you have removed all the dirt. Otherwise, scratches may also appear. The final step is to use clean water, which will get rid of any remaining contaminants.

Why is condensation dangerous?

Visually, a door with dripping drops of moisture does not look very aesthetically pleasing. When the surface freezes strongly, condensation turns into frost and ice. Condensation makes the air drier, worsening the indoor climate.

Draining moisture enters the keyhole or the lower grooves for the vertical anti-removal pins. If it freezes, you may find that the door simply cannot be opened.

Due to the moistening of the surface, corrosion, rust stains, fungus, and rotting of adjacent wooden parts of the structure form. You regularly have to wipe away any moisture that flows down and remove mold. However, any cleaning only eliminates the consequences; for effective control it is necessary to eliminate the cause.

Doors with thermal break

In this case, the metal that is located on the inside of the door does not come into contact with the “street” canvas. The material that conducts heat is divided into two or more parts isolated from each other. Transitions from one filler to another are precisely called thermal breaks.

If you explain it visually, then it’s enough to imagine a spoon left in a pot of soup on the stove. Of course, the tableware will begin to heat up. To avoid burning the skin of your hand, we use a potholder and high temperatures cease to have an effect. The tack in this case acts as a thermal break.

Thanks to this principle, cold air is retained and heat does not escape through the door. Therefore, such models allow you to solve all problems at once: the appearance of condensation, icing and blowing through the door.

But you need to be prepared for the fact that the cost of such a product will be higher. In addition, if you already have one metal door installed, then it is not economical to buy a second one. In this case, it is also worth thinking about the vestibule.

Installing a door with a thermal break does not mean that you will not have to perform additional measures.

Features of operation of doors with thermal break

Although this is a fairly good method of protecting against condensation, it is additionally recommended:

Install a canopy over the door. This will help partially cover the door from precipitation. In addition, the visor will protect against the influence of ultraviolet radiation on the canvas in the summer. If there is a 2nd floor balcony or other architectural “protrusions” above the door, then there is no need for a canopy.
Treat the door with a special weather-resistant compound, which is an anti-corrosion primer. A cheaper option is to apply two layers of paint.
Give preference to models coated with varnish.

And of course, it is advisable to think about possible problems at the stage of selecting and installing the product.