The windows throughout your home are a gateway to the outdoors, a way to let light in while you take in the view of your garden, yard or landscape. The last thing you would want to see is a sweaty window plastered in a film of condensation.

Not only are windows plastered with condensation unappealing, they also can be a symptom of a larger air-quality issue inside your home. Luckily, there’s several things you can attempt to address the problem.

What Causes Condensation in Windows

Condensation on the interior of windows is created by the damp warm air inside your home mixing with the cold surface of your windows. It’s notably commonplace during the winter when it’s much cooler outside than it is inside your home.

Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes

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

  • Moisture within a window is caused from the warm damp air in your home forming against the glass.
  • The moisture you find between windowpanes is produced when the window seal breaks down and moisture gets in between the two panes of glass, in which case the window should be repaired or replaced.
  • Condensation in the windows isn’t a window situation and can instead be fixed by changing the humidity in your home. Different things produce humidity inside a home, like showers, cooking, taking a bath or even breathing.

Why Indoor Sweating on Windows Can Be an Issue

Although you might consider condensation inside your windows is a cosmetic concern, it could also be evidence your home has higher humidity. If this is 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, promoting the growth of mildew or mold.

How to Reduce Humidity in Your Home

The good news is there are various options for eliminating moisture from the air inside your home.

If you have a humidifier operating within 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 high, consider purchasing a dehumidifier. While humidifiers adds moisture in your home so the air doesn’t become too dry, a dehumidifier extracts excess moisture out of the air.

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

Whole-house dehumidifier systems are regulated by a humidistat, which permits you to set 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 skilled professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Front Royal.

Other Ways to Decrease Condensation on Windows

  • Exhaust fans. Putting in exhaust fans near humidity hotspots including the bathroom, laundry room or above the stove can help by drawing the warm, moist air from these spaces out of your home before it can elevate the humidity level throughout your home.
  • Ceiling fans. Turning on ceiling fans can also keep air circulating within the home so humid air doesn’t get stuck in one area.
  • Opening up window treatments. Opening the blinds or drapes can lower condensation by preventing the humid air from being trapped 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 winter.