The windows in your home are a portal to the outdoors, a way to draw light in as you enjoy the view of your garden, yard or landscape. The last thing you want to see is a sweaty window coated in a film of condensation.
Not only are windows coated in condensation unattractive, they also can be a symptom of a more substantial air-quality deficit in your home. Luckily, there’s several things you can attempt to address the problem.
What Causes Condensation on Windows
Condensation on the inner layer of windows is created by the moist warm air inside your home reaching the cold surface of the windows. It’s notably common around the winter when it’s much cooler outside than it is in your home.
Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes
When talking about 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 air-quality issue and the other is a window issue.
- Moisture within a window is created from the warm damp air inside your home collecting along the glass.
- Existing moisture you notice between windowpanes is caused when the window seal fails and moisture seeps between the two panes of glass, and by then the window needs to be repaired or replaced.
- Condensation inside the windows isn’t a window issue and can instead be resolved by fine-tuning the humidity inside your home. Different things generate humidity throughout a home, including showers, cooking, taking a bath or even breathing.
Why Condensation on Windows Can Be a Problem
Although you might think condensation inside your windows is a cosmetic concern, it may also be a sign your home has higher humidity. If this is in fact 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, fostering the growth of mildew or mold.
How to Reduce Humidity Inside Your Home
Not to worry, because there are numerous options for eliminating moisture from the air inside your home.
If you have a humidifier active 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 active and your home’s humidity level is higher than you prefer, consider getting a dehumidifier. While humidifiers add 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 a single room. However, those units require emptying out water trays and usually 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 allows you to specify a humidity level precisely as you would select a temperature via your thermostat. The unit will start automatically when the humidity level exceeds the set level. These systems work with your home’s HVAC system, so you will want to contact experienced professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Huntsville.
Other Ways to Lower Condensation on Windows
- Exhaust fans. Installing exhaust fans around humidity hotspots such as the bathroom, laundry room or above the oven can help by drawing the warm, moist air from these rooms out of your home before it can raise the humidity level in your home.
- Ceiling fans. Spinning ceiling fans can also keep air circulating within the home so humid air doesn’t get trapped in one spot.
- Opening your window treatments. Pulling open the blinds or drapes can decrease condensation by preventing the warm air from being caught against the windowpane.
By lowering humidity across your home and circulating air throughout your home, you can take advantage of clear, moisture-free windows even in the middle of the winter.