The windows throughout your home are a gateway to the outdoors, a way to draw light in while you take in the view of your garden, yard or landscape. The last thing you want to see is a sweaty window coated in a coating of condensation.
Not only are windows covered in condensation unappealing, they also can be a sign of a more substantial air-quality issue throughout your home. Thankfully, there’s multiple things you can attempt to resolve the problem.
What Produces Condensation along Windows
Condensation on the interior of windows is created by the humid warm air inside your home mixing with the cold surface of your windows. It’s notably prevalent during the winter when it’s much chillier outside than it is inside your home.
Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes
When discussing condensation, it’s crucial to know the contrast 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 inside a window is produced from the warm humid air throughout your home collecting against the glass.
- Any moisture you notice between windowpanes is formed when the window seal stops working and moisture gets in 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 situation and can instead be resolved by changing the humidity across your home. Many things generate humidity in a home, such as showers, cooking, taking a bath or even breathing.
Why Indoor Sweating on Windows Could Mean an Issue
Although you might think condensation inside your windows is a cosmetic problem, it may also be evidence your home has excess humidity. If this is in fact the case, water could also be accumulating on window frames, cold walls or other surfaces. Even a small film of water can help wood surfaces to mildew or rot over time, promoting 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 running in your home – whether it be a smaller 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 higher than you prefer, look into purchasing a dehumidifier. While humidifiers adds moisture into your home so the air doesn’t get too dry, a dehumidifier pulls excess moisture out of the air.
Compact, portable dehumidifiers can eliminate the water from one room. However, portable units require clearing water trays and usually service a small area. A whole-house dehumidifier will extract moisture throughout your entire home.
Whole-house dehumidifier systems are managed by a humidistat, which enables you to specify a humidity level the same like you would pick a temperature on your thermostat. The unit will begin running immediately when the humidity level exceeds the set level. These systems collaborate with your home’s HVAC system, so you should contact experienced professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Chadron.
Other Ways to Reduce Condensation on Windows
- Exhaust fans. Adding exhaust fans around humidity hotspots including the bathroom, laundry room or above the stove can help by drawing the warm, humid air from these rooms out of your home before it can increase the humidity level inside your home.
- Ceiling fans. Spinning ceiling fans can also keep air moving throughout the home so humid air doesn’t get caught up in one spot.
- Opening up window treatments. Opening the blinds or drapes can decrease condensation by stopping the humid air from being stuck against the windowpane.
By lowering humidity in your home and dispersing air throughout your home, you can enjoy clear, moisture-free windows even in the winter.