The windows throughout your home open up to the outdoors, a way to allow light in when you enjoy the view of your garden, yard or landscape. The last thing you would want to see is a sweaty window covered in a film of condensation.
Not only are windows covered in condensation unsightly, they also can be a sign of a more substantial air-quality deficit inside your home. Thankfully, there’s multiple things you can try to resolve the problem.
What Produces Condensation on Windows
Condensation on the inside of windows is produced by the moist warm air in your home hitting the cold surface of the windows. It’s particularly common during 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 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 moist air in your home condensing along the glass.
- Any moisture you notice between windowpanes is produced when the window seal fails and moisture gets in between the two panes of glass, and at that point the window has to be repaired or replaced.
- Condensation on the inside of the windows isn’t a window problem and can instead be resolved by adjusting the humidity across your home. Different things generate humidity throughout a home, like showers, cooking, taking a bath or even breathing.
Why Condensation on Windows Can Be an Issue
Even though you might consider condensation on the inside of your windows is a cosmetic issue, it could also be a sign your home has excess humidity. If this is in fact the case, water may also be condensing on window frames, cold walls or other surfaces. Even a small film of water can encourage wood surfaces to mildew or rot over time, increasing the growth of mildew or mold.
How to Lower Humidity in Your Home
Not to worry, because there are various options for eliminating moisture from the air inside your home.
If you have a humidifier running 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 getting a dehumidifier. While humidifiers add 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 eliminate the water from one room. However, these units require emptying out water trays and usually service a fairly small area. A whole-house dehumidifier will extract moisture from your entire home.
Whole-house dehumidifier systems are managed by a humidistat, which enables you to specify a humidity level just as you would select a temperature via your thermostat. The unit will run instantly when the humidity level overtakes the set level. These systems coordinate with your home’s HVAC system, so you will want to contact experienced professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Pflugerville.
Other Ways to Lower Condensation on Windows
- Exhaust fans. Putting in exhaust fans in humidity hotspots including the bathroom, laundry room or above the kitchen range can help by extracting the warm, humid air from these spaces out of your home before it can increase the humidity level inside your home.
- Ceiling fans. Turning on ceiling fans can also keep air circulating inside the home so humid air doesn’t get caught up in one place.
- Opening up window treatments. Throwing open the blinds or drapes can lower condensation by stopping the warm air from being stuck against the windowpane.
By reducing humidity across your home and moving air throughout your home, you can take advantage of clear, moisture-free windows even during the winter.