Damping in the house...help?

Question

The living room in my house is extremely damp.
There is water on the window sils and it smells realy strong...
I think its from the windows...
How much damage can this have to the property and whats the best way to sort it out.
How do you isolate the damp points?
Thanks

They are double glazed

seems to be a leak around the windows...
they are not wood frame and seem in the right place but the window sill is literaly soaked with water not a few drops

Answer 1

A wet area, particularly in the walls, left untreated and particularly once spring rolls around, can cause a tremendous amount of damage to your house and health. Your windows may not be leaking...there may be excessive condensation during the night from high humidity levels. I'd check several of the things mentioned, the crawlspace being one very likely culprit (if that is the case, it needs to be pumped out, dried out, sump pump system installed, treat the area with fungicide and install a proper vapor barrier system). Non vented fireplaces also put a ton of moisture into the air if there is one in that room (get a dehumidifier to control the humidity). If there is no crawlspace, there can also be a ton of moisture coming up from a concrete slab if there is a seasonal spring in that area (the slab needs to be properly sealed and carpets need to be treated with fungicide). I'd also climb into the attic and see if you have a leak happening up top that is dripping into the walls. It is a good idea to inspect your attic twice a year anyways.

If you find a leak has gotten into the walls (rent or borrow a moisture meter to check) or there is an excessive amount of moisture in the subfloor from a flooded crawlspace, the materials need to be dried out with a commercial dehumidifier, air movers and heat, Any mold needs to be properly remediated (always use an EPA registered fungicide, NOT BLEACH).

Last but not least, you can always call a house inspector and have them come out for a check. They may be able to find what may not be obvious. Remember, prevention is FAR cheaper than remediation.

Take care of this now while it is cold and the chances for growth and spread are lower. Wait until spring when the walls warm up and you may be in for a miserable experience.

Answer 2

Sounds like cold air getting in around windows. You may need to replace the windows with some that are air tight. The smell is probably mold or mildew. If you have to replace the windows, you will get rid of the smell. If not, clean with bleach.
Water can rot the wood if windows are wood frame.
Get a humidistat. It will measure the relative humidity in the room. If the readings are consistently over 50%, you will have to figure out where the water vapor is coming from.
Does your furnace have a humidifier? If so, you may need to cut back on the amount of water being vaporized.

Answer 3

All of the others are good possibilities. This may also be condensation. Do you have a ventless gas fireplace or other ventless heat source? (Ventless means no chimney, the combustion gases go right in your room like your gas stove or gas oven.) There's a lot of water vapor present with these units. A real tightly insulaed home could see condensation even on double glazed glass (if it has no where else to go).

Answer 4

I had a friend with similiar experience and then she realized she had standing water in her crawl space. This is an extremely important to fix as this lead to mold in your walls and window sills and as I am sure you have heard, this can cause some peope to become really ill.

Answer 5

Are you sure the water isn't coming from the roof or eaves? You've really got to find the source of the water before you can fix it. Is it condensation? Maybe all you need is a de-humidifier?