The windows in your home are a gateway to the outdoors, a way to let light in when you appreciate the view of your garden, yard or other surroundings. The last thing you need to see is a sweaty window covered in a coating of condensation.
Not only are windows plastered with condensation unsightly, they also can be evidence of a larger air-quality deficit inside your home. Thankfully, there’s several things you can attempt to address the problem.
What Causes Condensation in Windows
Condensation on the inside of windows is formed by the humid warm air throughout your home mixing with the cold surface of the windows. It’s particularly common in the winter when it’s much chillier outside than it is inside your home.
Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes
When discussing condensation, it’s necessary to understand the contrast between moisture on the inside of your windows in comparison to moisture in between the windowpanes. One is an air-quality issue and the other is a window issue.
- Moisture within a window is caused from the warm damp air inside your home collecting along the glass.
- Any moisture you see between windowpanes is formed when the window seal breaks down and moisture slips 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 situation and can instead be resolved by fine-tuning the humidity inside your home. Numerous things cause humidity inside a home, including showers, cooking, laundry or even breathing.
Why Condensation on Windows Can Be a Problem
Even though you might think condensation in your windows is a cosmetic issue, it can be evidence your home has excess humidity. If this is in fact the case, water could also be collecting on window frames, cold walls or other surfaces. Even a small film of water can help wood surfaces to mildew or rot over time, fostering the growth of mildew or mold.
How to Lower Humidity Throughout Your Home
Fortunately there are various options for eliminating moisture from the air throughout 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 going and your home’s humidity level is excessive, consider purchasing a dehumidifier. While humidifiers introduce moisture into your home so the air doesn’t dry out, a dehumidifier draws excess moisture out of the air.
Small, portable dehumidifiers can absorb the water from an entire room. However, portable units require emptying water trays and most often service a somewhat limited area. A whole-house dehumidifier will eliminate moisture throughout your entire home.
Whole-house dehumidifier systems are controlled by a humidistat, which enables you to set a humidity level just as you would select a temperature with your thermostat. The unit will run instantly when the humidity level overtakes the set level. These systems collaborate with your home’s HVAC system, so you will want to contact experienced professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Hodgenville.
Alternative Ways to Lower Condensation on Windows
- Exhaust fans. Adding exhaust fans around humidity hotspots including the bathroom, laundry room or above the kitchen range can help by drawing the warm, moist air from these rooms out of your home before it can elevate the humidity level in your home.
- Ceiling fans. Spinning ceiling fans can also keep air moving throughout the home so humid air doesn’t get stuck in one place.
- Opening up window treatments. Pulling open the blinds or drapes can reduce condensation by preventing the damp air from being stuck against the windowpane.
By lowering humidity across your home and dispersing air throughout your home, you can take advantage of clear, moisture-free windows even in the middle of the winter.