Mold in Windows

I've read hydrogen pyroxide kills mold, you may want to put some in a spray bottle and give that a try.

Good luck

The seal is probably broke. The putty needs to be scraped out, use a hair dryer to dry the wood out well and reputty the window. You don't want the baby to injest the mold. He'll get sick.

We had this in the house I grew up in. The windows are allowing moisture to invade. Since your windows are only 6 years old, I would be talking to the window company. That should not be happening. As for what to clean it with, I would say that depends on what the finish on your windows is. You don't want to use anything that is to harsh that may disturb the finish.

Clean it with diluted bleach. This will be a temporary fix. I had a huge mold problem, but was fortunate enough to get an industrial product from my mom in Florida that her company had sold. (The company no longer exists). It actually kills the mold for good.

C. T.

Newer homes are much more air tight than older homes thus trapping more moisture inside. Also it takes several years for the humidity levels to go down from the moisture in the concrete used for your foundation, basement, etc. Our home had mold growing on the windows by the 2nd year! Do not run a humidifier unless absolutely necessary and try the cleaners recommended. I was never able to solve the problem and ended up ruining some of the wood on the windows trying to remove it. Good luck!

p.s. Go to www.weather.com click on the "alleries in your area section", go down to mold and under that there is a link about indoor mold and what to do about it.

You may need to drill 'weeping holes' in your window frames if moisture is being trapped in there after a rain. My husband told me about these, but we got new windows instead.

Cleaning it with bathroom mold and mildew products, or just beach should be fine.

I have this same problem and haven't solved it yet. I am thinking of trying a spray bathroom mold/mildew cleaner like scrubbing bubbles. We have it only on one side of the house which makes me think it must have something to do with how the wind blows the rain around-- maybe it stays wet longer or something.

I have company that helps with mold so I thought you would like an expert response:)

Its hard to pinpoint an exact cause, but My first guess would be that it is mold growing on dust/soil that has settled out on the window sills. The windows are normally the coolest area in the house when it is cold out side, so any excess moisture usually condenses there first. This causes an accumulation of dust and Soil, which then stays damp because of the condensation and becomes an ideal situation for mold growth. Because Windows are not considered a porous surface, Wiping it down with an antimicrobial should take care of the problem. If it has gone unnoticed for a long period of time, their may be some residual staining.

There are many things that can cause excessive humidity in the house, the biggest causes are usually improperly vented bathroom exhaust fans coupled with long hot showers and malfunctioning humidifier units on Furnaces and air conditioners. Multiple fish tanks and house plants and things of that nature can also have an effect. Its possible the windows themselves have bad seals on them and are allowing moisture to condense between the glass.

If you need anything else please give me a call @ 877-805-0651
M.

If your have thermopane windows (insulated windows) the seal could be broken and moisture is getting trapped in between and
may be causing the growth that your seeing.

The only way to know what it is, is to test it. In order to do that, you would have to break the glass to get a sample. It may just be safer to replace that glass panes.

You need to contact a glass replacement company or the manufacturer for replacement of the doubled paned glass.

You can usually find companies like this in the Yellow pages
or on Angie's list.

The most likely cause of this is condensation. Your humidity level in your home is probably too high. There is too much moisture in the air. (Try googling "condensation" and "mold." Look for condensation advice from places like the Window and Door Manufactures of America. They are an independant group, meaning they aren't owned by a window or door company, and give unbiased advice.)

What's going on in your home is probably related to too much moisture in the air. Moisture can breed mold.

The air around your windows will naturally be cooler, since no window can ever insulate as well as a wall can. As the air cools in front of your windows, moisture must come out of the air, since cooler air can't hold as much moisture as warmer air. That moisture needs to go somewhere, and it is attacted to the cool surface of the glass. Then it runs down the glass to the frame of the windows, and can cause wood deterioration, and in some cases, mold. It can destroy your windows over time. Or worse.

You can get condensation inside or outside. (Your air conditioner can cause the temperature to cool outside your windows, and cause condesation on the outside surface of the glass.)

The best thing to do is to lower the moisture level in your air, or in other words, turn down the humidity. If you have a whole-house humidifier (like Aprilaire), turn it off until the moisture level goes down. You can try turning it back up again (only not so high) after the place airs out and dries out. Get a de-humidifier. Run fans to help circulate the air and dry out the moisture. Open the windows on a nice dry breezy day and air out some of the moisture. Do you have screens inside that you leave on all winter? Take them off. Screens can trap cooler air directly in front of your glass. Open the blinds and heavy drapes and let air circulate in front of the windows. If your windows are wood, and there is no finish on them (like polyurethane or paint), get the wood finished - it can wick moisture into the home from outside if you don't. Run ventilating fans over the stove when you cook and in the bathroom when you shower to pull that moisture out. Sometimes floor or wall vents for heating and air conditioning that point directly at a window or a glass door can case condensation on the glass too. Try redirecting the vent so that it's not pointed at the glass.

Reduce the moisture and circulate the air.

To get rid of the mold that is already there, talk to the folks at your nearest good quality hardware store. Ask them for advice about mold removal. There are products on the market, but some are better suited for wood, paint, or whatever the surface. Ask if the product can damage surfaces or bleach out paint or wood or vinyl. If your windows are painted, you can put mold-inhibiting products into paint, too. (But be sure to remove the existing mold before you repaint.)

On a positive note, having condensation does indicate that your windows are sealed well. You are not getting drafts (or those drafts would be drying up a lot of that moisture.) Your house is probably so well sealed that moisture has difficulty escaping, and gets captured within your house. If the windows were allowing the water to infiltrate from the outside, you would be getting water running down the windows when it is raining, or you would be seeing your drapes blowing in the wind. Since you didn't say that you have these types of problems, it sounds like it is more likely to be condensation. That's more likely a sign that your windows are doing their job properly, but that you have too high a level of moisture in the air.

If you lower the moisture level in your home, you will probably eliminate the cause of the problem. Then all you have to do is remove the mold that is there, and repair any damage that the mold or water may have done.

Beware of drilling weep holes into the sill, as another poster suggested. While this may do wonders on some windows, it may also cause other problems. Check with your window manufacturer before altering the product that way. You could void a warranty. You could also cause a worse problem than you already have. While drilling holes may help eliminate the mold you already have, those holes very well could cause water to infiltrate into wood or walls, and cause serious damage. You need to know what you're doing before you take that kind of drastic step.

You could always seek advice from a window repair company, a contractor, or a home inspector. They will cost you money, but it may be less expensive than replacing a rotted out window. And do it sooner rather than later. Wood can rot quickly, and cause a lot of damage. The longer you wait to fix the problem, the more damage that can be done.

Good luck!