The windows of your home open up to the outdoors, a way to let light in as you appreciate 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 plastered with condensation unsightly, they also can be evidence of a more substantial air-quality issue throughout your home. Fortunately, there’s multiple things you can attempt to address the problem.

What Produces Condensation on Windows

Condensation on the inner layer of windows is formed by the damp warm air in your home mixing with the cold surface of the windows. It’s especially commonplace during the winter when it’s much colder outside than it is inside your home.

Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes

When discussing condensation, it’s necessary to understand 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 on the inside of a window is caused from the warm moist air inside your home forming against the glass.
  • Any moisture you notice between windowpanes is formed when the window seal stops working and moisture slips between the two panes of glass, in which case the window should be repaired or replaced.
  • Condensation on the inside of the windows isn’t a window issue and can instead be fixed by fine-tuning the humidity in your home. Many things generate humidity inside a home, including showers, cooking, laundry or even breathing.

Why Indoor Sweating on Windows Could Mean an Issue

Though you might think condensation on the inside of your windows is a cosmetic issue, it could also be evidence your home has excess humidity. If this is in fact the case, water might also be collecting on window frames, cold walls or other surfaces. Even a slim film of water can cause wood surfaces to mildew or rot over time, increasing the growth of mildew or mold.

How to Lower Humidity in Your Home

Fortunately there are numerous options for removing moisture from the air inside your home.

If you have a humidifier active 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 active and your home’s humidity level is excessive, think about getting a dehumidifier. While humidifiers introduces moisture into your home so the air doesn’t get too dry, a dehumidifier extracts excess moisture out of the air.

Smaller, portable dehumidifiers can remove the water from a single room. However, these units require emptying water trays and usually service a small area. A whole-house dehumidifier will remove moisture from your entire home.

Whole-house dehumidifier systems are controlled by a humidistat, which permits you to specify a humidity level precisely like you would select a temperature via your thermostat. The unit will begin running instantly when the humidity level surpasses the set level. These systems work with your home’s HVAC system, so you will want to contact experienced professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Rockford.

Other Ways to Reduce Condensation on Windows

  • Exhaust fans. Adding exhaust fans around humidity hotspots like 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 raise the humidity level across your home.
  • Ceiling fans. Turning on ceiling fans can also keep air circulating throughout the home so humid air doesn’t get trapped in one area.
  • Opening up window treatments. Opening the blinds or drapes can decrease condensation by preventing the warm air from being stuck against the windowpane.

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