The windows throughout your home are a portal to the outdoors, a way to draw 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 covered in condensation unappealing, they also can be a sign of a larger air-quality issue throughout your home. Luckily, there’s numerous things you can try to correct the problem.

What Causes Sweating along Windows

Condensation on the inside of windows is produced by the humid warm air inside your home mixing with the cold surface of the windows. It’s particularly commonplace 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 crucial to understand the distinction between moisture on the inside of your windows compared to moisture in between the windowpanes. One is an air-quality issue and the other is a window issue.

  • Moisture within a window is caused from the warm moist air throughout your home forming on the glass.
  • Existing moisture you notice between windowpanes is caused when the window seal breaks down and moisture slips between the two panes of glass, and by then the window should be repaired or replaced.
  • Condensation inside the windows isn’t a window issue and can instead be fixed by fine-tuning the humidity inside your home. Many things generate humidity in a home, such as showers, cooking, taking a bath or even breathing.

Why Condensation on Windows Can Be Trouble

Though you might think condensation in your windows is a cosmetic problem, it may also be evidence your home has higher humidity. If that’s the case, water might also be condensing on window frames, cold walls or other surfaces. Even a thin film of water can cause wood surfaces to mildew or rot over time, increasing the growth of mildew or mold.

How to Reduce Humidity Throughout 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 decreases.

If you don’t have a humidifier going and your home’s humidity level is higher than you prefer, consider getting a dehumidifier. While humidifiers introduces 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, these units require clearing water trays and most often service a small area. A whole-house dehumidifier will eliminate moisture throughout your entire home.

Whole-house dehumidifier systems are regulated by a humidistat, which enables you to set a humidity level precisely like you would pick a temperature via your thermostat. The unit will begin running automatically when the humidity level exceeds the set level. These systems collaborate with your home’s HVAC system, so you will want to contact experienced professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Frederick.

Other Ways to Decrease Condensation on Windows

  • Exhaust fans. Installing exhaust fans in humidity hotspots like the bathroom, laundry room or above the kitchen range can help by extracting the warm, humid air from these areas out of your home before it can raise the humidity level in your home.
  • Ceiling fans. Spinning ceiling fans can also keep air swirling inside the home so humid air doesn’t get caught up in one spot.
  • Opening your window treatments. Throwing open the blinds or drapes can decrease condensation by stopping the warm air from being trapped against the windowpane.

By decreasing humidity inside your home and moving air throughout your home, you can take advantage of clear, moisture-free windows even in the middle of the winter.