The windows of your home are a portal to the outdoors, a way to let light in when you enjoy the view of your garden, yard or scenery. The last thing you need to see is a sweaty window covered in a coating of condensation.
Not only are windows coated in condensation unattractive, they also can be a sign of a larger air-quality issue inside your home. Luckily, there’s multiple things you can try to correct the problem.
What Creates Condensation on Windows
Condensation on the inside of windows is created by the humid warm air inside your home hitting the cold surface of the windows. It’s particularly common during the winter when it’s much cooler outside than it is inside your home.
Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes
When dealing with condensation, it’s necessary to recognize 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 on the inside of a window is produced from the warm humid air in your home collecting along the glass.
- Existing moisture you find between windowpanes is caused when the window seal stops working and moisture slips between the two panes of glass, and by then the window has to be repaired or replaced.
- Condensation in the windows isn’t a window problem and can instead be fixed by changing the humidity across your home. Numerous things cause humidity throughout a home, like showers, cooking, taking a bath or even breathing.
Why Condensation on Windows Can Be a Problem
Although you might think condensation inside your windows is a cosmetic issue, it could also be evidence 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 slim film of water can help wood surfaces to mildew or rot over time, promoting the growth of mildew or mold.
How to Lower Humidity in Your Home
Not to worry, because there are several options for extracting moisture from the air inside your home.
If you have a humidifier active within 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 active and your home’s humidity level is excessive, think about installing a dehumidifier. While humidifiers introduce moisture in your home so the air doesn’t become too dry, a dehumidifier draws excess moisture out of the air.
Small, portable dehumidifiers can absorb the water from a single room. However, those units require emptying water trays and generally service a fairly small area. A whole-house dehumidifier will remove moisture across your entire home.
Whole-house dehumidifier systems are controlled by a humidistat, which enables you to specify a humidity level precisely as you would pick a temperature on your thermostat. The unit will run instantly when the humidity level overtakes the set level. These systems coordinate with your home’s HVAC system, so you will want to contact experienced professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Manassas.
Alternative Ways to Lower Condensation on Windows
- Exhaust fans. Adding exhaust fans in humidity hotspots including the bathroom, laundry room or above the kitchen range can help by drawing the warm, moist air from these rooms out of your home before it can elevate the humidity level inside your home.
- Ceiling fans. Running ceiling fans can also keep air swirling inside the home so humid air doesn’t get trapped in one place.
- Opening up window treatments. Opening the blinds or drapes can lower condensation by stopping the warm air from being stuck against the windowpane.
By decreasing humidity inside your home and dispersing air throughout your home, you can take advantage of clear, moisture-free windows even during the winter.