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 scenery. The last thing you want to see is a sweaty window coated in a coating of condensation.
Not only are windows covered in condensation unappealing, they also can be a symptom of a more substantial air-quality deficit inside your home. Luckily, there’s several things you can attempt to correct the problem.
What Produces Condensation along Windows
Condensation on the interior of windows is produced by the moist warm air inside your home hitting the cold surface of the windows. It’s notably common during 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 know the difference 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 within a window is produced from the warm damp air in your home forming against the glass.
- Any moisture you notice between windowpanes is produced when the window seal stops working 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 problem and can instead be resolved by changing the humidity across your home. Different things cause humidity in a home, such as showers, cooking, bathing or even breathing.
Why Condensation on Windows Can Be Trouble
Even though you might consider condensation on the inside of your windows is a cosmetic problem, it may also be a sign your home has excess humidity. If that’s the case, water might also be collecting on window frames, cold walls or other surfaces. Even a thin film of water can encourage wood surfaces to mildew or rot over time, increasing the growth of mildew or mold.
How to Lower Humidity Throughout Your Home
Thankfully there are several options for removing moisture from the air in your home.
If you have a humidifier operating within your home – whether it be a smaller 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 high, consider installing a dehumidifier. While humidifiers put moisture inside your home so the air doesn’t dry out, a dehumidifier pulls excess moisture out of the air.
Compact, portable dehumidifiers can absorb the water from one room. However, those units require emptying out water trays and usually service a somewhat limited area. A whole-house dehumidifier will eliminate moisture from your entire home.
Whole-house dehumidifier systems are regulated by a humidistat, which permits you to establish a humidity level the same as you would choose a temperature with your thermostat. The unit will run automatically when the humidity level exceeds the set level. These systems work with your home’s HVAC system, so you will want to contact skilled professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation South Beloit and Belvidere.
Alternative Ways to Reduce Condensation on Windows
- Exhaust fans. Putting in exhaust fans around humidity hotspots such as 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 elevate the humidity level inside your home.
- Ceiling fans. Spinning ceiling fans can also keep air moving inside the home so humid air doesn’t get caught up in one place.
- Opening up window treatments. Opening the blinds or drapes can lower condensation by stopping the damp air from being trapped against the windowpane.
By reducing humidity across your home and circulating air throughout your home, you can take advantage of clear, moisture-free windows even in the middle of the winter.