The windows throughout your home are a gateway to the outdoors, a way to allow light in when you enjoy the view of your garden, yard or other surroundings. The last thing you need to see is a sweaty window covered in a film of condensation.
Not only are windows coated in condensation unattractive, they also can be evidence of a larger air-quality issue inside your home. Luckily, there’s multiple things you can try to address the problem.
What Produces Condensation in Windows
Condensation on the interior of windows is created by the damp warm air inside your home mixing with the cold surface of the windows. It’s especially common around the winter when it’s much colder outside than it is inside your home.
Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes
When dealing with condensation, it’s crucial to recognize the contrast 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 on the inside of a window is created from the warm moist air throughout your home collecting along the glass.
- Existing moisture you find between windowpanes is caused when the window seal fails and moisture slips between the two panes of glass, and at that point the window has to be repaired or replaced.
- Condensation on the inside of the windows isn’t a window problem and can instead be solved by adjusting the humidity across your home. Numerous things generate humidity throughout a home, including showers, cooking, bathing or even breathing.
Why Sweating Windows Could Mean an Issue
Although you might consider condensation on the inside of your windows is a cosmetic problem, it could also be evidence your home has high humidity. If this is the case, water might 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 Inside Your Home
The good news is there are various options for removing moisture from the air inside your home.
If you have a humidifier active in your home – whether it be a small-scale unit or a whole-house humidifier – lower it further so the humidity inside your home goes down.
If you don’t have a humidifier running and your home’s humidity level is higher than you prefer, consider purchasing a dehumidifier. While humidifiers adds moisture into your home so the air doesn’t become too dry, a dehumidifier extracts excess moisture out of the air.
Smaller, portable dehumidifiers can eliminate the water from a single room. However, these units require emptying out water trays and usually service a fairly small area. A whole-house dehumidifier will remove moisture across 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 via your thermostat. The unit will begin running instantly when the humidity level overtakes the set level. These systems coordinate with your home’s HVAC system, so you will receive the best results if you contact experienced professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Swanton.
Additional Ways to Reduce Condensation on Windows
- Exhaust fans. Adding exhaust fans in humidity hotspots like the bathroom, laundry room or above the kitchen range can help by extracting the warm, moist air from these areas out of your home before it can raise the humidity level in your home.
- Ceiling fans. Spinning ceiling fans can also keep air flowing within the home so humid air doesn’t get trapped in one place.
- Open window treatments. Throwing open the blinds or drapes can lower 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 take advantage of clear, moisture-free windows even during the winter.