The windows throughout your home are a gateway to the outdoors, a way to draw light in when you enjoy 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 coated in condensation unsightly, they also can be a sign of a more serious air-quality deficit in your home. Thankfully, there’s numerous things you can try to address the problem.
What Causes Sweating along Windows
Condensation on the interior of windows is formed by the moist warm air in your home reaching the cooler surface of the windows. It’s especially commonplace in the winter when it’s much chillier outside than it is within your home.
Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes
When dealing with condensation, it’s necessary to know the difference 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 within a window is caused from the warm humid air throughout your home forming against the glass.
- Existing moisture you find between windowpanes is produced when the window seal fails and moisture slips 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 situation and can instead be resolved by adjusting the humidity in your home. Different things produce humidity inside a home, including showers, cooking, taking a bath or even breathing.
Why Indoor Sweating on Windows Can Be an Issue
Although you might presume condensation on the inside of your windows is a cosmetic problem, it may also be indicating your home has excess humidity. If this is the case, water could also be accumulating on window frames, cold walls or other surfaces. Even a slim film of water can help wood surfaces to mildew or rot over time, promoting the growth of mildew or mold.
How to Reduce Humidity Throughout Your Home
The good news is there are numerous options for removing moisture from the air inside your home.
If you have a humidifier operating inside 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 going and your home’s humidity level is excessive, look into installing a dehumidifier. While humidifiers put moisture in your home so the air doesn’t become too dry, a dehumidifier draws excess moisture out of the air.
Smaller, portable dehumidifiers can absorb the water from an entire room. However, portable units require emptying water trays and most often service a small area. A whole-house dehumidifier will eliminate moisture across your entire home.
Whole-house dehumidifier systems are controlled by a humidistat, which allows you to specify a humidity level precisely like you would select a temperature with your thermostat. The unit will run instantly when the humidity level surpasses the set level. These systems collaborate with your home’s HVAC system, so you will want to contact skilled professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Michigan City.
Alternative Ways to Eliminate Condensation on Windows
- Exhaust fans. Installing exhaust fans in humidity hotspots including the bathroom, laundry room or above the oven can help by pulling the warm, moist air from these areas out of your home before it can raise the humidity level across your home.
- Ceiling fans. Spinning ceiling fans can also keep air flowing throughout the home so humid air doesn’t get trapped in one spot.
- Opening up window treatments. Pulling open the blinds or drapes can reduce condensation by preventing the humid air from being caught against the windowpane.
By lowering humidity inside your home and circulating air throughout your home, you can make the most of clear, moisture-free windows even in the winter.