The windows throughout your home open up to the outdoors, a way to allow light in while you enjoy the view of your garden, yard or scenery. The last thing you need to see is a sweaty window covered in a film of condensation.

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

What Produces Condensation in Windows

Condensation on the interior of windows is created by the damp warm air in your home mixing with the colder surface of the windows. It’s notably prevalent around the winter when it’s much colder outside than it is in 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 compared to moisture in between the windowpanes. One is an indoor air quality issue and the other is a window issue.

  • Moisture inside a window is created from the warm damp air inside your home forming against the glass.
  • The moisture you notice between windowpanes is formed when the window seal fails and moisture slips between the two panes of glass, in which case the window should be repaired or replaced.
  • Condensation in the windows isn’t a window issue and can instead be fixed by fine-tuning the humidity inside your home. Many things produce humidity in a home, including showers, cooking, laundry or even breathing.

Why Sweating Windows Can Be a Problem

Though you might consider condensation in your windows is a cosmetic problem, it may also be indicating your home has excess humidity. If this is in fact the case, water may also be accumulating on window frames, cold walls or other surfaces. Even a slim 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

Thankfully there are various options for removing moisture from the air inside your home.

If you have a humidifier active within 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, think about installing a dehumidifier. While humidifiers adds moisture in your home so the air doesn’t become too dry, a dehumidifier draws excess moisture out of the air.

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

Whole-house dehumidifier systems are controlled by a humidistat, which allows you to set a humidity level precisely like you would pick a temperature via your thermostat. The unit will start instantly when the humidity level exceeds the set level. These systems coordinate with your home’s HVAC system, so you should contact qualified professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Carpentersville.

Additional Ways to Decrease Condensation on Windows

  • Exhaust fans. Putting in exhaust fans near humidity hotspots such as the bathroom, laundry room or above the stove can help by drawing 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 moving inside the home so humid air doesn’t get stuck in one area.
  • Opening your window treatments. Opening the blinds or drapes can decrease condensation by preventing the damp air from being stuck against the windowpane.

By decreasing humidity inside your home and circulating air throughout your home, you can take advantage of clear, moisture-free windows even in the middle of the winter.