The windows throughout your home open up to the outdoors, a way to let light in while you enjoy the view of your garden, yard or landscape. The last thing you want to see is a sweaty window plastered in a coating of condensation.

Not only are windows coated in condensation unsightly, they also can be a sign of a larger air-quality issue in your home. Luckily, there’s numerous things you can attempt to resolve the problem.

What Creates Sweating on Windows

Condensation on the inside of windows is produced by the humid warm air inside your home hitting the colder surface of your windows. It’s particularly common around the winter when it’s much cooler outside than it is in your home.

Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes

When discussing condensation, it’s important to recognize the contrast between moisture on the inside of your windows compared to moisture in between the windowpanes. One is an air-quality issue and the other is a window issue.

  • Moisture inside a window is produced from the warm damp air in your home forming against the glass.
  • Any moisture you see between windowpanes is produced when the window seal stops working and moisture seeps between the two panes of glass, in which case the window needs to be repaired or replaced.
  • Condensation inside the windows isn’t a window issue and can instead be fixed by adjusting the humidity inside your home. Different things produce humidity throughout a home, such as showers, cooking, bathing or even breathing.

Why Condensation on Windows Can Be an Issue

Though you might presume condensation inside your windows is a cosmetic concern, it can be a sign your home has higher humidity. If this is the case, water could also be condensing on window frames, cold walls or other surfaces. Even a small film of water can help 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 numerous options for eliminating moisture from the air inside your home.

If you have a humidifier active inside your home – whether it be a small 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 higher than you prefer, consider purchasing a dehumidifier. While humidifiers adds moisture in your home so the air doesn’t dry out, a dehumidifier pulls excess moisture out of the air.

Small, portable dehumidifiers can remove the water from an entire room. However, portable units require emptying out water trays and most often service a somewhat limited area. A whole-house dehumidifier will eliminate moisture across your entire home.

Whole-house dehumidifier systems are regulated by a humidistat, which allows you to specify a humidity level precisely like you would select a temperature via your thermostat. The unit will run instantly when the humidity level surpasses the set level. These systems work with your home’s HVAC system, so you will receive the best results if you contact experienced professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Hodgenville.

Other Ways to Lower Condensation on Windows

  • Exhaust fans. Adding exhaust fans around humidity hotspots like 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 increase the humidity level throughout your home.
  • Ceiling fans. Running ceiling fans can also keep air circulating within the home so humid air doesn’t get stuck in one spot.
  • Opening your window treatments. Opening the blinds or drapes can lower condensation by stopping the humid air from being trapped against the windowpane.

By reducing 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.