The windows in your home open up to the outdoors, a way to draw light in when you enjoy the view of your garden, yard or other surroundings. The last thing you want to see is a sweaty window plastered in a coating of condensation.
Not only are windows covered in condensation unsightly, they also can be a symptom of a more serious air-quality issue inside your home. Thankfully, there’s multiple things you can try to correct the problem.
What Creates Condensation in Windows
Condensation on the interior of windows is produced by the moist warm air in your home hitting the cooler surface of the windows. It’s notably prevalent around the winter when it’s much chillier outside than it is within your home.
Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes
When dealing with condensation, it’s crucial to recognize the distinction between moisture on the inside of your windows versus moisture in between the windowpanes. One is an indoor air quality issue and the other is a window issue.
- Moisture inside a window is created from the warm humid air inside your home collecting on the glass.
- Any moisture you notice between windowpanes is caused when the window seal stops working and moisture gets in between the two panes of glass, and by then the window needs to be repaired or replaced.
- Condensation inside the windows isn’t a window issue and can instead be solved by changing the humidity across your home. Many things cause humidity throughout a home, including showers, cooking, taking a bath or even breathing.
Why Condensation on Windows Can Be Trouble
Although you might presume condensation on the inside of your windows is a cosmetic issue, it can be indicating your home has higher humidity. If that’s the case, water could also be collecting on window frames, cold walls or other surfaces. Even a slim film of water can encourage wood surfaces to mildew or rot over time, increasing the growth of mildew or mold.
How to Decrease Humidity in Your Home
The good news is there are several options for extracting moisture from the air in 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 decreases.
If you don’t have a humidifier running and your home’s humidity level is excessive, consider getting a dehumidifier. While humidifiers add moisture into your home so the air doesn’t become too dry, a dehumidifier draws excess moisture out of the air.
Small, portable dehumidifiers can remove the water from a single room. However, those units require emptying water trays and usually service a small area. A whole-house dehumidifier will extract moisture across your entire home.
Whole-house dehumidifier systems are controlled by a humidistat, which allows you to establish a humidity level just as you would choose a temperature with your thermostat. The unit will start immediately when the humidity level overtakes the set level. These systems work with your home’s HVAC system, so you will want to contact experienced professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Wharton.
Additional Ways to Lower Condensation on Windows
- Exhaust fans. Adding exhaust fans around humidity hotspots like the bathroom, laundry room or above the oven can help by pulling the warm, moist air from these spaces out of your home before it can raise the humidity level across your home.
- Ceiling fans. Turning on ceiling fans can also keep air moving throughout the home so humid air doesn’t get trapped in one spot.
- Opening your window treatments. Throwing open the blinds or drapes can lower condensation by preventing the humid air from being trapped against the windowpane.
By lowering humidity across your home and circulating air throughout your home, you can make the most of clear, moisture-free windows even in the middle of the winter.