The windows of your home are a portal to the outdoors, a way to draw light in as you take in the view of your garden, yard or landscape. The last thing you want to see is a sweaty window plastered in a coating of condensation.

Not only are windows covered in condensation unappealing, they also can be a symptom of a more serious air-quality problem within your home. Luckily, there’s multiple things you can do to address the problem.

What Causes Condensation on Windows

Condensation on the interior of windows is formed by the moist warm air in your home mixing with the colder surface of your windows. It’s notably commonplace during the winter when it’s much chillier outside than it is inside your home.

Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes

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

  • Moisture on the inside of a window is created from the warm humid air throughout your home collecting against the glass.
  • The moisture you see between windowpanes is produced when the window seal breaks down and moisture seeps between the two panes of glass, and by then the window needs to be repaired or replaced.
  • Condensation on the inside of the windows isn’t a window issue and can instead be solved by changing the humidity inside your home. Numerous things generate humidity inside a home, like showers, cooking, taking a bath or even breathing.

Why Condensation on Windows Can Be Trouble

Although you might think condensation inside your windows is a cosmetic concern, it can be indicating your home has excess humidity. If that’s the case, water might also be collecting on window frames, cold walls or other surfaces. Even a thin film of water can help wood surfaces to mildew or rot over time, increasing the growth of mildew or mold.

How to Lower Humidity Throughout Your Home

Thankfully there are numerous options for extracting moisture from the air inside your home.

If you have a humidifier active in your home – whether it be a smaller unit or a whole-house humidifier – lower it further so the humidity inside your home goes down.

If you don’t have a humidifier active and your home’s humidity level is high, look into purchasing a dehumidifier. While humidifiers put moisture inside your home so the air doesn’t dry out, a dehumidifier extracts excess moisture out of the air.

Small, portable dehumidifiers can absorb the water from a single room. However, those units require emptying out water trays and generally service a small area. A whole-house dehumidifier will extract moisture from your entire home.

Whole-house dehumidifier systems are regulated by a humidistat, which permits you to establish a humidity level precisely like you would pick a temperature via your thermostat. The unit will run instantly when the humidity level overtakes the set level. These systems coordinate with your home’s HVAC system, so you will want to contact skilled professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation .

Other Ways to Eliminate Condensation on Windows

  • Exhaust fans. Installing exhaust fans near humidity hotspots like the bathroom, laundry room or above the stove can help by drawing the warm, moist air from these spaces out of your home before it can elevate the humidity level in your home.
  • Ceiling fans. Spinning ceiling fans can also keep air circulating throughout the home so humid air doesn’t get stuck in one spot.
  • Opening your window treatments. Pulling open the blinds or drapes can decrease condensation by preventing the warm air from being stuck against the windowpane.

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