Fogged-Up Windows and Cold Radiators: Winter Warning Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore in an Apartment Building
2026.01.15
Winter is a stress test for apartment buildings. Freezing temperatures, snow, and constant temperature swings quickly reveal what can go unnoticed in warmer months: heat loss, system imbalances, moisture issues, or even structural weaknesses. And while the building administrator is responsible for organizing maintenance, the first warning signs most often show up in residents’ everyday lives—inside apartments, in stairwells, or near entrances.
“The key principle in winter is prevention and cooperation. The administrator plans and organizes the work, while residents’ observations help capture changes in real-life conditions—before a minor fault turns into an emergency,” says Andrius Soikinas, Head of Development Projects at “Civinity namai.”
According to him, winter maintenance is about more than comfort. When issues involving moisture, thermal bridges, or frozen pipelines start to take hold, the consequences can be very tangible—from rising bills to flooding, damage to structures, or dangerous situations in the courtyard.
In most cases, heat loss and gaps in the building’s airtightness become noticeable first. Poor insulation, weak seam sealing, or damaged structural joints are hard to miss once temperatures drop and the building starts “letting out” heat faster. Residents feel it as discomfort at home—and, over time, in higher utility costs.
“When a heating system is not properly balanced, the building uses heat inefficiently. In winter, this becomes especially visible because differences show up quickly: one area overheats while another lacks warmth. If you react in time, you can often avoid both greater discomfort and unnecessary losses,” Soikinas emphasizes.
Another common sign is moisture. Fogged-up windows, condensation, and mold in corners or around windows usually point to thermal bridges, insufficient insulation, or inadequate ventilation. In winter, these problems progress faster, so they shouldn’t be dismissed as a seasonal inconvenience. Moisture can damage finishes, affect structures over time, and mold can pose risks to residents’ health.
Cold weather also quickly exposes shortcomings in rainwater and snowmelt drainage. Frozen drains or downpipes can cause water to overflow and seep into façades, seams, and structural elements. At first, it may look like a small stain or damp patch, but over time these processes weaken building components and can lead to costly repairs.
In winter, technical faults can also turn into direct safety challenges. Snow and ice increase loads, so defects may appear in the most sensitive areas—roof edges, gutters, parapets, and the edges of balcony slabs. Icicles and snow accumulations form, posing the greatest danger above entrances, pedestrian paths, stairs, and ramps. Ice can clog downpipes, and once water starts penetrating walls, the risk becomes not only cosmetic but structural as well.
“Prevention in winter means ongoing control, not one-off reactions. That includes maintaining roof technical areas and drains, organizing snow removal when needed, and removing icicles professionally. It’s also important that cleaning and gritting access areas follows real weather conditions—the highest risk often occurs not during snowfall, but when snow melts and then freezes again,” says a “Civinity” expert.
Still, some issues won’t be visible to the administrator until residents report them. Soikinas notes that it’s critical not to delay if new damp spots appear on ceilings or walls after snowfall or a thaw, if water starts seeping through joints, if puddles form in the basement or attic, if radiators suddenly go cold, or if indoor temperature becomes unstable. Immediate action is also needed when very slippery areas appear near stairs or ramps, or when large icicle formations develop above entrances. Most importantly, removing icicles yourself is strongly discouraged: it can endanger health and even life, so the work should be done by professionals.
“A safe and well-maintained winter in an apartment building starts with shared responsibility. The administrator is responsible for decisions and organization, while residents are responsible for timely information and responsible everyday behavior. When we work together, small signals don’t turn into major incidents, and building maintenance becomes more effective and predictable,” concludes Andrius Soikinas, Head of Development Projects at “Civinity.”
Winter doesn’t leave much room to “wait until spring.” But it does send clear signals. The earlier they’re noticed and passed on to the administrator, the better the chance the season will end calmly—without flooding, without hazards in the courtyard, and without expensive emergency repairs.