The windows of your home are a gateway to the outdoors, a way to allow 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 plastered in a layer of condensation.
Not only are windows coated in condensation unappealing, they also can be a sign of a more serious air-quality issue within your home. Thankfully, there’s multiple things you can do to address the problem.
What Causes Condensation on Windows
Condensation on the inner layer of windows is formed by the moist warm air in your home reaching the cold surface of the windows. It’s particularly common over the winter when it’s much colder outside than it is inside your home.
Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes
When talking about condensation, it’s necessary to recognize the difference between moisture on the inside of your windows versus moisture in between the windowpanes. One is an air-quality issue and the other is a window issue.
- Moisture on the inside of a window is produced from the warm humid air in your home condensing along the glass.
- Any moisture you find between windowpanes is caused when the window seal stops working and moisture seeps between the two panes of glass, and at that point the window needs to be repaired or replaced.
- Condensation inside the windows isn’t a window situation and can instead be solved by adjusting the humidity in your home. Many things cause humidity inside a home, including showers, cooking, bathing or even breathing.
Why Condensation on Windows Can Be an Issue
Although you might consider condensation on the inside of your windows is a cosmetic problem, it could 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 small film of water can help wood surfaces to mildew or rot over time, fostering the growth of mildew or mold.
How to Reduce Humidity in Your Home
The good news is there are several options for extracting moisture from the air in your home.
If you have a humidifier active in your home – whether it be a small unit or a whole-house humidifier – lower it further so the humidity inside your home decreases.
If you don’t have a humidifier active and your home’s humidity level is high, look into purchasing a dehumidifier. While humidifiers add moisture in your home so the air doesn’t get too dry, a dehumidifier pulls excess moisture out of the air.
Compact, portable dehumidifiers can absorb the water from an entire room. However, portable units require emptying water trays and most often service a fairly small area. A whole-house dehumidifier will remove moisture across your entire home.
Whole-house dehumidifier systems are controlled by a humidistat, which allows you to establish a humidity level the same as you would choose a temperature on your thermostat. The unit will begin running immediately when the humidity level exceeds the set level. These systems work with your home’s HVAC system, so you will want to contact skilled professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Erie.
Additional Ways to Lower Condensation on Windows
- Exhaust fans. Putting in exhaust fans around humidity hotspots such as 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 inside your home.
- Ceiling fans. Running ceiling fans can also keep air circulating inside the home so humid air doesn’t get caught up in one spot.
- Opening up window treatments. Throwing open the blinds or drapes can decrease condensation by preventing the humid air from being trapped 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 during the winter.