The windows throughout your home are a portal to the outdoors, a way to allow light in while you appreciate the view of your garden, yard or landscape. The last thing you would want to see is a sweaty window covered in a layer of condensation.

Not only are windows covered in condensation unattractive, they also can be a sign of a more serious air-quality problem within your home. Luckily, there’s several things you can do to resolve the problem.

What Creates Sweating along Windows

Condensation on the inner layer of windows is created by the humid warm air throughout your home mixing with the cooler surface of your windows. It’s especially commonplace over the winter when it’s much chillier outside than it is in your home.

Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes

When talking about condensation, it’s important to understand the distinction 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 within a window is produced from the warm damp air inside your home forming along the glass.
  • Existing moisture you notice between windowpanes is caused when the window seal fails and moisture slips between the two panes of glass, and at that point the window needs to be repaired or replaced.
  • Condensation in the windows isn’t a window situation and can instead be solved by adjusting the humidity across your home. Many things produce humidity inside a home, like showers, cooking, laundry or even breathing.

Why Sweating Windows Could Mean Trouble

Though you might consider condensation inside your windows is a cosmetic issue, it may also be a sign your home has high 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, increasing the growth of mildew or mold.

How to Reduce Humidity in Your Home

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

If you have a humidifier running in your home – whether it be a smaller 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 excessive, think about purchasing a dehumidifier. While humidifiers put moisture inside your home so the air doesn’t dry out, a dehumidifier extracts excess moisture out of the air.

Smaller, portable dehumidifiers can remove the water from a single room. However, those units require emptying water trays and most often service a small area. A whole-house dehumidifier will eliminate moisture from your entire home.

Whole-house dehumidifier systems are regulated by a humidistat, which allows you to establish a humidity level precisely like you would select a temperature via your thermostat. The unit will run immediately when the humidity level overtakes the set level. These systems collaborate with your home’s HVAC system, so you should contact qualified professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Justin.

Other Ways to Lower Condensation on Windows

  • Exhaust fans. Installing exhaust fans around humidity hotspots including 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 elevate the humidity level in your home.
  • Ceiling fans. Running ceiling fans can also keep air moving within the home so humid air doesn’t get caught up in one spot.
  • Opening your window treatments. Pulling open the blinds or drapes can lower condensation by stopping the humid air from being trapped against the windowpane.

By reducing humidity in your home and dispersing air throughout your home, you can enjoy clear, moisture-free windows even in the middle of the winter.