The windows throughout your home open up to the outdoors, a way to draw light in when you take in the view of your garden, yard or landscape. The last thing you want to see is a sweaty window coated in a layer of condensation.

Not only are windows covered in condensation unsightly, they also can be a sign of a more serious air-quality deficit inside your home. Thankfully, there’s multiple things you can do to resolve the problem.

What Causes Sweating in Windows

Condensation on the interior of windows is produced by the humid warm air throughout your home mixing with the cooler surface of your windows. It’s especially prevalent around the winter when it’s much colder outside than it is in your home.

Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes

When dealing with condensation, it’s necessary to know the difference between moisture on the inside of your windows in comparison to moisture in between the windowpanes. One is an indoor air quality issue and the other is a window issue.

  • Moisture on the inside of a window is produced from the warm humid air inside your home collecting on the glass.
  • The moisture you find between windowpanes is formed when the window seal stops working and moisture slips between the two panes of glass, and by then the window has to be repaired or replaced.
  • Condensation in the windows isn’t a window issue and can instead be resolved by adjusting the humidity inside your home. Numerous things cause humidity throughout a home, including showers, cooking, bathing or even breathing.

Why Condensation on Windows Can Be Trouble

Even though you might think condensation in your windows is a cosmetic problem, it may also be evidence your home has excess humidity. If that’s the case, water may also be condensing on window frames, cold walls or other surfaces. Even a slim film of water can help wood surfaces to mildew or rot over time, promoting the growth of mildew or mold.

How to Decrease Humidity Inside Your Home

Thankfully there are numerous options for eliminating moisture from the air in 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 comes down.

If you don’t have a humidifier active and your home’s humidity level is excessive, look into getting a dehumidifier. While humidifiers adds moisture inside your home so the air doesn’t dry out, a dehumidifier draws excess moisture out of the air.

Compact, portable dehumidifiers can remove the water from an entire room. However, portable units require clearing water trays and most often service a fairly small area. A whole-house dehumidifier will extract moisture across your entire home.

Whole-house dehumidifier systems are managed by a humidistat, which enables you to set a humidity level just like you would select a temperature on your thermostat. The unit will begin running instantly when the humidity level overtakes the set level. These systems collaborate with your home’s HVAC system, so you will receive the best results if you contact experienced professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Norton.

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 stove can help by pulling the warm, humid air from these areas out of your home before it can increase the humidity level in your home.
  • Ceiling fans. Spinning ceiling fans can also keep air swirling within the home so humid air doesn’t get trapped in one area.
  • Opening your window treatments. Pulling open the blinds or drapes can decrease condensation by preventing the humid air from being trapped against the windowpane.

By lowering humidity across your home and moving air throughout your home, you can enjoy clear, moisture-free windows even in the winter.