The windows throughout your home are a portal to the outdoors, a way to allow light in when you appreciate the view of your garden, yard or scenery. The last thing you would want to see is a sweaty window coated in a layer of condensation.
Not only are windows plastered with condensation unappealing, they also can be a symptom of a more substantial air-quality deficit inside your home. Luckily, there’s numerous things you can attempt to resolve the problem.
What Causes Condensation along Windows
Condensation on the inside of windows is produced by the moist warm air throughout your home reaching the cooler surface of the windows. It’s notably common over the winter when it’s much colder outside than it is inside your home.
Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes
When discussing condensation, it’s crucial to understand the contrast between moisture on the inside of your windows versus moisture in between the windowpanes. One is an air-quality issue and the other is a window issue.
- Moisture inside a window is created from the warm damp air in your home forming against the glass.
- Any moisture you find between windowpanes is caused when the window seal fails and moisture slips between the two panes of glass, in which case the window needs to be repaired or replaced.
- Condensation inside the windows isn’t a window situation and can instead be solved by changing the humidity across your home. Numerous things produce humidity inside a home, such as showers, cooking, laundry or even breathing.
Why Condensation on Windows Can Be a Problem
Though you might consider condensation on the inside of your windows is a cosmetic issue, it may also be indicating your home has higher 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 encourage 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 various options for eliminating moisture from the air inside your home.
If you have a humidifier running in 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 active and your home’s humidity level is excessive, look into purchasing a dehumidifier. While humidifiers put moisture inside your home so the air doesn’t dry out, a dehumidifier pulls excess moisture out of the air.
Compact, portable dehumidifiers can remove the water from a single room. However, portable units require emptying water trays and generally service a small area. A whole-house dehumidifier will remove moisture throughout your entire home.
Whole-house dehumidifier systems are regulated by a humidistat, which allows you to set a humidity level just as you would choose a temperature on your thermostat. The unit will begin running automatically when the humidity level overtakes the set level. These systems collaborate with your home’s HVAC system, so you should contact skilled professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Justin.
Additional Ways to Lower Condensation on Windows
- Exhaust fans. Putting in exhaust fans around humidity hotspots like the bathroom, laundry room or above the stove can help by extracting the warm, moist air from these spaces out of your home before it can elevate the humidity level inside your home.
- Ceiling fans. Spinning ceiling fans can also keep air moving within the home so humid air doesn’t get stuck in one spot.
- Open window treatments. Throwing open the blinds or drapes can reduce condensation by preventing the warm air from being stuck 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 middle of the winter.