The windows throughout your home are a portal to the outdoors, a way to draw light in when you take in the view of your garden, yard or landscape. The last thing you need to see is a sweaty window covered in a film of condensation.

Not only are windows covered in condensation unappealing, they also can be evidence of a more substantial air-quality issue inside your home. Luckily, there’s numerous things you can do to address the problem.

What Causes Condensation along Windows

Condensation on the inside of windows is created by the damp warm air throughout your home mixing with the colder surface of the windows. It’s particularly common around the winter when it’s much chillier outside than it is inside your home.

Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes

When talking about condensation, it’s necessary to recognize the contrast 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 on the inside of a window is caused from the warm damp air inside your home collecting along the glass.
  • Existing moisture you see between windowpanes is caused when the window seal fails and moisture gets in between the two panes of glass, and by then the window has to be repaired or replaced.
  • Condensation inside the windows isn’t a window issue and can instead be resolved by changing the humidity inside your home. Numerous things produce humidity inside a home, like showers, cooking, taking a bath or even breathing.

Why Sweating Windows Can Be an Issue

Although you might consider condensation inside your windows is a cosmetic problem, it could also be evidence your home has excess humidity. If this is the case, water could also be accumulating on window frames, cold walls or other surfaces. Even a small film of water can help 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 numerous options for removing moisture from the air throughout your home.

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

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

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

Whole-house dehumidifier systems are controlled by a humidistat, which enables you to set a humidity level precisely like you would pick a temperature on your thermostat. The unit will start immediately when the humidity level surpasses the set level. These systems coordinate with your home’s HVAC system, so you will want to contact qualified professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Thedford.

Other Ways to Lower Condensation on Windows

  • Exhaust fans. Adding exhaust fans in humidity hotspots like the bathroom, laundry room or above the kitchen range can help by pulling the warm, moist air from these rooms out of your home before it can raise the humidity level inside your home.
  • Ceiling fans. Running ceiling fans can also keep air flowing inside the home so humid air doesn’t get stuck in one place.
  • Opening up window treatments. Pulling open the blinds or drapes can reduce condensation by stopping the warm air from being trapped against the windowpane.

By reducing humidity inside your home and dispersing air throughout your home, you can make the most of clear, moisture-free windows even in the winter.