The windows of your home are a portal to the outdoors, a way to let light in as you take in the view of your garden, yard or scenery. The last thing you 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 evidence of a larger air-quality deficit in your home. Thankfully, there’s multiple things you can do to correct the problem.
What Causes Condensation on Windows
Condensation on the inside of windows is produced by the moist warm air throughout your home mixing with the colder surface of your windows. It’s particularly prevalent 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 know 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 on the inside of a window is produced from the warm damp air inside your home collecting on the glass.
- Existing moisture you notice between windowpanes is caused when the window seal stops working and moisture slips between the two panes of glass, and at that point the window should be repaired or replaced.
- Condensation on the inside of the windows isn’t a window issue and can instead be solved by changing the humidity inside your home. Numerous things cause humidity in a home, like showers, cooking, laundry or even breathing.
Why Condensation on Windows Can Be an Issue
Though you might consider condensation inside your windows is a cosmetic issue, it could also be evidence your home has higher humidity. If this is the case, water may also be condensing on window frames, cold walls or other surfaces. Even a slim film of water can encourage wood surfaces to mildew or rot over time, increasing the growth of mildew or mold.
How to Reduce Humidity Throughout Your Home
Fortunately there are several options for eliminating moisture from the air throughout your home.
If you have a humidifier running in your home – whether it be a small 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 high, think about purchasing a dehumidifier. While humidifiers introduce moisture in your home so the air doesn’t become too dry, a dehumidifier extracts excess moisture out of the air.
Smaller, portable dehumidifiers can remove the water from a single room. However, portable units require emptying out water trays and generally service a somewhat limited 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 set a humidity level the same as you would pick a temperature on your thermostat. The unit will start immediately when the humidity level overtakes 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 York.
Other Ways to Reduce Condensation on Windows
- Exhaust fans. Installing exhaust fans around humidity hotspots like the bathroom, laundry room or above the oven can help by drawing the warm, moist air from these areas out of your home before it can increase the humidity level throughout your home.
- Ceiling fans. Turning on ceiling fans can also keep air circulating within the home so humid air doesn’t get stuck in one spot.
- Opening your window treatments. Opening the blinds or drapes can decrease condensation by stopping the humid air from being caught against the windowpane.
By decreasing humidity across your home and moving air throughout your home, you can make the most of clear, moisture-free windows even in the middle of the winter.