The windows of your home are a gateway to the outdoors, a way to draw light in as you appreciate the view of your garden, yard or scenery. The last thing you would want to see is a sweaty window covered in a layer of condensation.

Not only are windows covered in condensation unsightly, they also can be evidence of a more serious air-quality issue inside your home. Luckily, there’s multiple things you can attempt to correct the problem.

What Produces Sweating on Windows

Condensation on the inside of windows is formed by the moist warm air throughout your home mixing with the cold surface of your windows. It’s particularly prevalent over the winter when it’s much cooler outside than it is in your home.

Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes

When talking about condensation, it’s important to recognize the contrast 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 produced from the warm humid air inside your home forming on the glass.
  • Existing moisture you find between windowpanes is caused when the window seal breaks down and moisture slips 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 problem and can instead be solved by adjusting the humidity across your home. Numerous things cause humidity in a home, like showers, cooking, laundry or even breathing.

Why Sweating Windows Could Mean Trouble

Though you might think condensation on the inside of your windows is a cosmetic concern, it could also be indicating 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 slim film of water can help wood surfaces to mildew or rot over time, promoting the growth of mildew or mold.

How to Lower Humidity in Your Home

The good news is there are various options for removing 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 goes down.

If you don’t have a humidifier running and your home’s humidity level is high, consider getting a dehumidifier. While humidifiers adds moisture inside your home so the air doesn’t get too dry, a dehumidifier draws 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 small area. A whole-house dehumidifier will remove moisture from your entire home.

Whole-house dehumidifier systems are regulated by a humidistat, which enables you to specify a humidity level just like you would choose a temperature with your thermostat. The unit will begin running instantly when the humidity level overtakes 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 Bishop.

Additional Ways to Reduce Condensation on Windows

  • Exhaust fans. Putting in 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 rooms out of your home before it can increase the humidity level inside your home.
  • Ceiling fans. Running ceiling fans can also keep air swirling throughout the home so humid air doesn’t get trapped in one area.
  • Opening your window treatments. Pulling open the blinds or drapes can decrease condensation by stopping the damp air from being trapped against the windowpane.

By decreasing humidity inside your home and dispersing air throughout your home, you can make the most of clear, moisture-free windows even in the winter.