The windows throughout your home are a gateway to the outdoors, a way to let light in when you take in the view of your garden, yard or other surroundings. The last thing you want to see is a sweaty window plastered in a film of condensation.

Not only are windows coated in condensation unsightly, they also can be a sign of a more substantial air-quality deficit inside your home. Luckily, there’s numerous things you can attempt to address the problem.

What Produces Sweating in Windows

Condensation on the interior of windows is formed by the humid warm air throughout your home hitting the cold surface of the windows. It’s particularly common around the winter when it’s much colder outside than it is inside your home.

Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes

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

  • Moisture within a window is caused from the warm moist air throughout your home forming on the glass.
  • Any moisture you find between windowpanes is produced when the window seal breaks down and moisture seeps between the two panes of glass, and by then the window should be repaired or replaced.
  • Condensation in the windows isn’t a window situation and can instead be solved by adjusting the humidity inside your home. Numerous things produce humidity throughout a home, including showers, cooking, taking a bath or even breathing.

Why Indoor Sweating on Windows Can Be Trouble

Even though you might presume condensation inside your windows is a cosmetic problem, it may also be a sign your home has excess humidity. If that’s the case, water may also be condensing on window frames, cold walls or other surfaces. Even a small 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

Thankfully there are various options for extracting moisture from the air throughout your home.

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

If you don’t have a humidifier going and your home’s humidity level is high, consider installing a dehumidifier. While humidifiers adds moisture in your home so the air doesn’t get too dry, a dehumidifier draws 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 most often service a small area. A whole-house dehumidifier will extract moisture throughout your entire home.

Whole-house dehumidifier systems are controlled by a humidistat, which allows you to establish a humidity level just like you would pick a temperature via your thermostat. The unit will begin running immediately when the humidity level overtakes the set level. These systems collaborate with your home’s HVAC system, so you will want to contact qualified professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Reinholds.

Additional Ways to Decrease Condensation on Windows

  • Exhaust fans. Installing exhaust fans in humidity hotspots such as the bathroom, laundry room or above the oven can help by extracting the warm, moist air from these rooms out of your home before it can elevate the humidity level throughout your home.
  • Ceiling fans. Turning on ceiling fans can also keep air moving within the home so humid air doesn’t get trapped in one area.
  • Opening up window treatments. Opening the blinds or drapes can reduce condensation by preventing the damp air from being stuck against the windowpane.

By reducing humidity inside your home and circulating air throughout your home, you can enjoy clear, moisture-free windows even in the winter.