The windows in your home open up to the outdoors, a way to draw light in when you appreciate the view of your garden, yard or scenery. The last thing you need to see is a sweaty window covered in a layer of condensation.

Not only are windows plastered with condensation unattractive, they also can be a sign of a more serious air-quality problem throughout your home. Thankfully, there’s multiple things you can attempt to address the problem.

What Causes Sweating on Windows

Condensation on the interior of windows is created by the moist warm air inside your home mixing with the cooler surface of the windows. It’s especially prevalent over the winter when it’s much colder outside than it is within your home.

Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes

When talking about condensation, it’s crucial to know the distinction between moisture on the inside of your windows in comparison to moisture in between the windowpanes. One is an air-quality issue and the other is a window issue.

  • Moisture inside a window is caused from the warm moist air throughout your home condensing along the glass.
  • Any moisture you see between windowpanes is formed when the window seal fails and moisture seeps between the two panes of glass, and by then the window has to be repaired or replaced.
  • Condensation on the inside of the windows isn’t a window situation and can instead be resolved by fine-tuning the humidity inside your home. Different things cause humidity throughout a home, like showers, cooking, laundry or even breathing.

Why Condensation on Windows Can Be an Issue

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

How to Reduce Humidity in Your Home

Thankfully there are various options for eliminating moisture from the air throughout 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 high, look into getting a dehumidifier. While humidifiers introduces moisture in your home so the air doesn’t dry out, a dehumidifier extracts excess moisture out of the air.

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

Whole-house dehumidifier systems are managed by a humidistat, which permits you to set a humidity level just like you would choose a temperature with your thermostat. The unit will start instantly when the humidity level exceeds 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 West Jefferson.

Additional Ways to Lower Condensation on Windows

  • Exhaust fans. Putting in exhaust fans around humidity hotspots like the bathroom, laundry room or above the oven can help by extracting the warm, moist air from these areas out of your home before it can elevate the humidity level across your home.
  • Ceiling fans. Running ceiling fans can also keep air moving throughout the home so humid air doesn’t get stuck in one place.
  • Open window treatments. Opening the blinds or drapes can lower condensation by preventing the warm air from being caught against the windowpane.

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