The windows of your home open up to the outdoors, a way to let light in when you enjoy the view of your garden, yard or other surroundings. The last thing you would want to see is a sweaty window plastered in a coating of condensation.

Not only are windows coated in condensation unsightly, they also can be a symptom of a more substantial air-quality issue throughout your home. Luckily, there’s multiple things you can attempt to resolve the problem.

What Causes Condensation along Windows

Condensation on the interior of windows is formed by the damp warm air in your home hitting the cooler surface of the windows. It’s particularly common during the winter when it’s much chillier outside than it is in your home.

Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes

When talking about condensation, it’s necessary to understand the difference between moisture on the inside of your windows versus moisture in between the windowpanes. One is an indoor air quality issue and the other is a window issue.

  • Moisture inside a window is produced from the warm moist air inside your home collecting against the glass.
  • The moisture you find between windowpanes is produced when the window seal stops working and moisture seeps between the two panes of glass, and at that point the window needs to be repaired or replaced.
  • Condensation inside the windows isn’t a window situation and can instead be fixed by fine-tuning the humidity inside your home. Numerous things produce humidity in a home, like showers, cooking, laundry or even breathing.

Why Sweating Windows Could Mean a Problem

Though you might consider condensation in your windows is a cosmetic problem, it may also be a sign your home has high humidity. If this is the case, water could also be condensing on window frames, cold walls or other surfaces. Even a slim film of water can encourage wood surfaces to mildew or rot over time, promoting the growth of mildew or mold.

How to Lower Humidity Throughout Your Home

Fortunately there are several options for removing moisture from the air inside your home.

If you have a humidifier running within your home – whether it be a small unit or a whole-house humidifier – lower it further so the humidity inside your home decreases.

If you don’t have a humidifier going and your home’s humidity level is excessive, consider getting a dehumidifier. While humidifiers introduces moisture into your home so the air doesn’t become too dry, a dehumidifier draws excess moisture out of the air.

Compact, portable dehumidifiers can remove the water from an entire room. However, those units require emptying water trays and most often service a small area. A whole-house dehumidifier will extract moisture across your entire home.

Whole-house dehumidifier systems are controlled by a humidistat, which permits you to specify a humidity level the same like you would select a temperature on your thermostat. The unit will start instantly when the humidity level surpasses the set level. These systems collaborate with your home’s HVAC system, so you should contact qualified professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation East Bernard.

Additional Ways to Eliminate Condensation on Windows

  • Exhaust fans. Adding exhaust fans in humidity hotspots like the bathroom, laundry room or above the stove can help by pulling the warm, humid air from these spaces out of your home before it can raise the humidity level inside your home.
  • Ceiling fans. Spinning ceiling fans can also keep air moving inside the home so humid air doesn’t get caught up in one spot.
  • Opening your window treatments. Pulling open the blinds or drapes can lower condensation by preventing the humid air from being caught against the windowpane.

By lowering humidity inside your home and moving air throughout your home, you can take advantage of clear, moisture-free windows even during the winter.