The windows in your home are a gateway 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 would want to see is a sweaty window coated in a coating of condensation.
Not only are windows coated in condensation unsightly, they also can be a symptom of a larger air-quality deficit within your home. Fortunately, there’s multiple things you can try to address the problem.
What Produces Condensation on Windows
Condensation on the inner layer of windows is produced by the moist warm air in your home reaching the colder surface of the windows. It’s notably common over the winter when it’s much chillier outside than it is in your home.
Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes
When talking about condensation, it’s important to recognize the distinction 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 within a window is created from the warm moist air inside your home forming against the glass.
- The moisture you see between windowpanes is formed when the window seal fails and moisture gets in between the two panes of glass, and by then the window needs to be repaired or replaced.
- Condensation in the windows isn’t a window problem and can instead be solved by adjusting the humidity across your home. Numerous things produce humidity in a home, including showers, cooking, taking a bath or even breathing.
Why Condensation on Windows Can Be Trouble
Even though you might presume condensation in your windows is a cosmetic concern, it may also be evidence your home has high humidity. If this is in fact the case, water may also be collecting on window frames, cold walls or other surfaces. Even a slim film of water can cause wood surfaces to mildew or rot over time, fostering the growth of mildew or mold.
How to Decrease Humidity Throughout Your Home
Not to worry, because there are numerous options for eliminating moisture from the air inside your home.
If you have a humidifier operating 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 excessive, consider purchasing a dehumidifier. While humidifiers put moisture inside your home so the air doesn’t become too dry, a dehumidifier pulls excess moisture out of the air.
Smaller, portable dehumidifiers can remove the water from a single room. However, those units require emptying water trays and generally service a somewhat limited area. A whole-house dehumidifier will eliminate moisture from your entire home.
Whole-house dehumidifier systems are managed by a humidistat, which allows you to establish a humidity level the same as you would pick a temperature on your thermostat. The unit will run automatically when the humidity level exceeds the set level. These systems collaborate with your home’s HVAC system, so you will want to contact skilled professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Litchfield Park.
Other Ways to Eliminate Condensation on Windows
- Exhaust fans. Adding exhaust fans near humidity hotspots like the bathroom, laundry room or above the stove can help by extracting the warm, moist air from these areas 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 trapped in one place.
- Opening your window treatments. Pulling open the blinds or drapes can decrease condensation by preventing the warm air from being caught against the windowpane.
By lowering humidity inside your home and moving air throughout your home, you can make the most of clear, moisture-free windows even in the middle of the winter.