The windows throughout your home are a portal to the outdoors, a way to draw light in while you appreciate the view of your garden, yard or scenery. The last thing you need to see is a sweaty window plastered in a layer of condensation.
Not only are windows coated in condensation unappealing, they also can be a sign of a more serious air-quality problem throughout your home. Fortunately, there’s multiple things you can attempt to correct the problem.
What Creates Condensation on Windows
Condensation on the inner layer of windows is formed by the humid warm air inside your home mixing with the colder surface of the windows. It’s notably common over the winter when it’s much cooler outside than it is within your home.
Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes
When discussing condensation, it’s necessary 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 on the inside of a window is created from the warm damp air throughout your home collecting against the glass.
- Any moisture you notice between windowpanes is produced when the window seal fails and moisture slips between the two panes of glass, and at that point the window needs to be repaired or replaced.
- Condensation in the windows isn’t a window situation and can instead be resolved by adjusting the humidity in your home. Numerous things cause humidity throughout a home, including showers, cooking, taking a bath or even breathing.
Why Condensation on Windows Can Be an Issue
Though you might think condensation in your windows is a cosmetic issue, it may also be indicating 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 small film of water can encourage wood surfaces to mildew or rot over time, increasing the growth of mildew or mold.
How to Lower Humidity Inside Your Home
Thankfully there are numerous options for removing moisture from the air in your home.
If you have a humidifier running within your home – whether it be a smaller unit or a whole-house humidifier – lower it further so the humidity inside your home goes down.
If you don’t have a humidifier going and your home’s humidity level is higher than you prefer, think about getting a dehumidifier. While humidifiers put moisture in your home so the air doesn’t dry out, a dehumidifier extracts excess moisture out of the air.
Small, portable dehumidifiers can eliminate the water from a single room. However, those units require emptying out water trays and generally service a somewhat limited area. A whole-house dehumidifier will extract moisture throughout your entire home.
Whole-house dehumidifier systems are controlled by a humidistat, which enables you to establish a humidity level just as you would select a temperature via your thermostat. The unit will run instantly 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 Zelienople.
Additional Ways to Reduce Condensation on Windows
- Exhaust fans. Installing exhaust fans around humidity hotspots including the bathroom, laundry room or above the stove can help by extracting the warm, humid air from these rooms out of your home before it can elevate the humidity level across your home.
- Ceiling fans. Running ceiling fans can also keep air circulating throughout the home so humid air doesn’t get trapped in one spot.
- Open window treatments. Throwing open the blinds or drapes can lower condensation by preventing the warm air from being stuck against the windowpane.
By decreasing humidity inside your home and dispersing air throughout your home, you can take advantage of clear, moisture-free windows even in the middle of the winter.