The windows throughout your home open up to the outdoors, a way to draw light in as you appreciate the view of your garden, yard or scenery. The last thing you would want to see is a sweaty window plastered in a layer of condensation.
Not only are windows covered in condensation unappealing, they also can be a symptom of a larger air-quality issue within your home. Luckily, there’s multiple things you can try to resolve the problem.
What Creates Condensation in Windows
Condensation on the inside of windows is formed by the humid warm air throughout your home reaching the colder surface of your windows. It’s notably common over the winter when it’s much colder outside than it is in your home.
Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes
When talking about condensation, it’s crucial to recognize the distinction between moisture on the inside of your windows versus 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 created from the warm humid air throughout your home condensing along the glass.
- Any moisture you find between windowpanes is produced when the window seal stops working and moisture slips between the two panes of glass, and by then the window needs to be repaired or replaced.
- Condensation in the windows isn’t a window issue and can instead be resolved by fine-tuning the humidity across your home. Many things cause humidity in a home, like showers, cooking, bathing or even breathing.
Why Condensation on Windows Can Be an Issue
Though you might consider condensation in your windows is a cosmetic concern, it may also be indicating your home has excess humidity. If this is the case, water might also be collecting 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 Decrease Humidity Inside Your Home
Fortunately there are various options for extracting moisture from the air in your home.
If you have a humidifier operating in your home – whether it be a smaller 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 high, consider purchasing a dehumidifier. While humidifiers put moisture inside your home so the air doesn’t become too dry, a dehumidifier extracts excess moisture out of the air.
Compact, portable dehumidifiers can remove the water from a single room. However, these units require clearing 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 controlled by a humidistat, which permits you to establish a humidity level precisely as you would pick a temperature with your thermostat. The unit will begin running immediately when the humidity level overtakes 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 Lower Condensation on Windows
- Exhaust fans. Adding exhaust fans near humidity hotspots including the bathroom, laundry room or above the kitchen range can help by pulling the warm, moist air from these spaces out of your home before it can raise the humidity level throughout your home.
- Ceiling fans. Spinning ceiling fans can also keep air circulating inside the home so humid air doesn’t get trapped in one place.
- Open window treatments. Opening the blinds or drapes can decrease condensation by preventing the warm air from being caught against the windowpane.
By decreasing humidity in your home and dispersing air throughout your home, you can make the most of clear, moisture-free windows even in the middle of the winter.