The windows of your home are a gateway to the outdoors, a way to draw light in when you take in the view of your garden, yard or landscape. The last thing you need to see is a sweaty window plastered in a coating of condensation.
Not only are windows covered in condensation unsightly, they also can be evidence of a more substantial air-quality problem inside your home. Thankfully, there’s numerous things you can try to address the problem.
What Creates Condensation on Windows
Condensation on the interior of windows is formed by the humid warm air in your home hitting the colder surface of your windows. It’s particularly prevalent around the winter when it’s much chillier outside than it is within your home.
Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes
When discussing condensation, it’s crucial to recognize the difference between moisture on the inside of your windows in comparison to 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 created from the warm humid air throughout your home condensing along the glass.
- Any moisture you see between windowpanes is caused when the window seal breaks down and moisture slips between the two panes of glass, in which case the window needs to be repaired or replaced.
- Condensation on the inside of the windows isn’t a window situation and can instead be fixed by changing the humidity across your home. Different things produce humidity inside a home, including showers, cooking, taking a bath or even breathing.
Why Sweating Windows Could Mean an Issue
Although you might consider condensation in your windows is a cosmetic issue, it may also be indicating your home has excess humidity. If this is in fact the case, water might also be condensing on window frames, cold walls or other surfaces. Even a small film of water can help wood surfaces to mildew or rot over time, promoting the growth of mildew or mold.
How to Reduce Humidity Inside Your Home
Thankfully there are several options for removing moisture from the air in your home.
If you have a humidifier running in your home – whether it be a small-scale unit or a whole-house humidifier – lower it further so the humidity inside your home decreases.
If you don’t have a humidifier running and your home’s humidity level is excessive, think about installing a dehumidifier. While humidifiers adds moisture into 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 one room. However, portable units require emptying water trays and usually service a somewhat limited 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 establish a humidity level precisely like you would pick a temperature on your thermostat. The unit will run instantly 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 Des Moines.
Alternative Ways to Reduce Condensation on Windows
- Exhaust fans. Putting in exhaust fans around humidity hotspots including the bathroom, laundry room or above the kitchen range can help by drawing the warm, moist air from these spaces out of your home before it can raise the humidity level across your home.
- Ceiling fans. Spinning ceiling fans can also keep air moving throughout the home so humid air doesn’t get trapped in one place.
- Open window treatments. Opening the blinds or drapes can reduce condensation by stopping the warm air from being stuck against the windowpane.
By lowering humidity in your home and dispersing air throughout your home, you can enjoy clear, moisture-free windows even in the winter.