Here is the note from the Building Team regarding humidity in your new home:
You may experience some moisture on your windows due to the humidity levels in your house. Rest assured, this is a very normal event when a brand-new home is first built/occupied and is NOT a failure of your windows or a result of poor installation. It is due to three primary things,
1) new construction takes about a year or two to completely dry out,
2) the new energy codes that we are required to construct the houses to creates a very tight envelope that doesn’t ventilate like old houses do (walls and windows used to naturally breathe due to poorer construction and efficiency),
3) cold temperatures outside with our climate’s dry exterior air.
New homes have a naturally higher humidity because the components that were used to build your home are curing – concrete, wood, and paint all expel moisture, making it difficult to maintain a 35% humidity level. This will pass over time. The second year should see humidity levels that are easier to control and by the third or fourth year, much of the window condensation/high humidity levels will be gone if active living humidity is controlled. A new home will typically expel 500 to 600 gallons of water in the first year and a half, so it is difficult to reduce condensation during this time. Opening windows and doors periodically throughout the day and especially after activities that increase the humidity will help exchange the humid indoor air for drier outdoor air.
You may notice the most moisture in bedrooms, especially those that sleep two people and have shades drawn throughout the night. The breathing of two people creates a lot of humidity and the shades keep the air trapped against the colder glass all night. On cold nights, it helps to keep your shades open at the bottom of the window to allow some airflow.
Please go to this link to familiarize yourselves with the facts of condensation and what you need to do on a regular basis, especially the first year of occupancy.
https://www.thermalwindows.com/condensation.php
Here are the recommended interior relative humidity levels to reduce condensation:
-30 F or below -- not over 15%
-20 F to -10 F -- not over 20%
-10 F to 0 F -- not over 25%
0 F to 10 F -- not over 30%
10 F to 20 F -- not over 35%
20 F to 40 F -- not over 40%
(Assumes 70 F indoor air temperature)
It will be important to control your humidity levels in order to manage the moisture build-up on your windows that will drain on to the sills and can cause damage to the paint or the wood if left to soak. We strongly suggest the use of a dehumidifier during the winter months to keep your humidity levels at or below the recommended levels to eliminate condensation. Here is a good option:
Dehumidifier
Humidity Monitor
Let the team know if you have any other questions.