The windows in your home open up to the outdoors, a way to allow light in as you appreciate the view of your garden, yard or other surroundings. The last thing you want 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. Thankfully, there’s numerous things you can attempt to address the problem.
What Creates Condensation in Windows
Condensation on the inner layer of windows is created by the damp warm air throughout your home hitting the colder surface of your windows. It’s particularly prevalent over the winter when it’s much chillier outside than it is in your home.
Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes
When discussing condensation, it’s important 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 inside a window is created from the warm humid air inside your home condensing on the glass.
- The moisture you find between windowpanes is caused when the window seal stops working and moisture gets in between the two panes of glass, in which case the window has to be repaired or replaced.
- Condensation in the windows isn’t a window situation and can instead be resolved by fine-tuning the humidity across your home. Different things cause humidity inside a home, including showers, cooking, bathing or even breathing.
Why Condensation on Windows Could Mean Trouble
Though you might think condensation on the inside of your windows is a cosmetic issue, it may also be evidence your home has high humidity. If that’s the case, water could also be accumulating on window frames, cold walls or other surfaces. Even a small film of water can encourage wood surfaces to mildew or rot over time, promoting the growth of mildew or mold.
How to Decrease Humidity in Your Home
Thankfully there are several options for extracting moisture from the air throughout your home.
If you have a humidifier running inside 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 running and your home’s humidity level is higher than you prefer, think about purchasing a dehumidifier. While humidifiers adds moisture inside your home so the air doesn’t become too dry, a dehumidifier pulls excess moisture out of the air.
Smaller, portable dehumidifiers can remove the water from a single room. However, portable units require emptying water trays and most often service a fairly small area. A whole-house dehumidifier will eliminate moisture throughout your entire home.
Whole-house dehumidifier systems are managed by a humidistat, which permits you to establish a humidity level precisely like you would pick a temperature via your thermostat. The unit will run immediately when the humidity level overtakes the set level. These systems work with your home’s HVAC system, so you should contact qualified professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Des Moines.
Other Ways to Reduce Condensation on Windows
- Exhaust fans. Adding exhaust fans around humidity hotspots such as the bathroom, laundry room or above the kitchen range can help by pulling the warm, humid air from these rooms out of your home before it can increase the humidity level in your home.
- Ceiling fans. Spinning ceiling fans can also keep air moving throughout the home so humid air doesn’t get caught up in one place.
- Open window treatments. Throwing open the blinds or drapes can decrease condensation by stopping the warm air from being trapped against the windowpane.
By reducing humidity inside 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.