The windows throughout your home open up to the outdoors, a way to let light in when you appreciate the view of your garden, yard or landscape. The last thing you need to see is a sweaty window coated in a coating of condensation.

Not only are windows plastered with condensation unattractive, they also can be evidence of a more substantial air-quality problem throughout your home. Luckily, there’s numerous things you can do to resolve the problem.

What Produces Sweating on Windows

Condensation on the interior of windows is produced by the damp warm air throughout your home mixing with the cooler surface of the windows. It’s especially prevalent over the winter when it’s much cooler outside than it is within 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 versus 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 humid air inside your home forming along the glass.
  • Any moisture you see between windowpanes is formed when the window seal breaks down and moisture slips between the two panes of glass, in which case the window should be repaired or replaced.
  • Condensation inside the windows isn’t a window problem and can instead be solved by adjusting the humidity across your home. Numerous things generate humidity inside a home, such as showers, cooking, taking a bath or even breathing.

Why Indoor Sweating on Windows Could Mean an Issue

Though you might consider condensation inside your windows is a cosmetic issue, it may also be a sign your home has higher humidity. If this is in fact the case, water may also be condensing on window frames, cold walls or other surfaces. Even a thin film of water can help wood surfaces to mildew or rot over time, fostering the growth of mildew or mold.

How to Reduce Humidity Throughout Your Home

Not to worry, because there are various options for eliminating moisture from the air inside your home.

If you have a humidifier operating 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 going and your home’s humidity level is excessive, consider getting a dehumidifier. While humidifiers put 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 absorb the water from a single room. However, these units require emptying out water trays and most often service a somewhat limited area. A whole-house dehumidifier will remove moisture throughout your entire home.

Whole-house dehumidifier systems are controlled by a humidistat, which permits you to establish a humidity level precisely like you would pick a temperature on your thermostat. The unit will run automatically when the humidity level exceeds the set level. These systems coordinate with your home’s HVAC system, so you will want to contact qualified professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Mobile.

Other Ways to Decrease Condensation on Windows

  • Exhaust fans. Installing exhaust fans near humidity hotspots such as the bathroom, laundry room or above the oven can help by extracting the warm, moist 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 flowing inside the home so humid air doesn’t get caught up in one place.
  • Open window treatments. Opening the blinds or drapes can decrease condensation by preventing the damp air from being caught against the windowpane.

By lowering humidity in your home and circulating air throughout your home, you can make the most of clear, moisture-free windows even in the winter.