The windows in your home are a portal to the outdoors, a way to allow light in as you appreciate the view of your garden, yard or scenery. The last thing you want to see is a sweaty window covered in a film of condensation.
Not only are windows coated in condensation unappealing, they also can be a symptom of a more serious air-quality problem inside your home. Fortunately, there’s numerous things you can try to address the problem.
What Produces Condensation in Windows
Condensation on the interior of windows is formed by the humid warm air in your home hitting the cold surface of your windows. It’s especially common in 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 understand the difference 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 produced from the warm moist air in your home forming on the glass.
- The moisture you see between windowpanes is produced when the window seal stops working and moisture slips between the two panes of glass, and by then 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 adjusting the humidity inside your home. Different things cause humidity inside a home, such as showers, cooking, taking a bath or even breathing.
Why Condensation on Windows Can Be an Issue
Though you might think condensation inside your windows is a cosmetic problem, it could also be indicating your home has high humidity. If this is the case, water could also be collecting on window frames, cold walls or other surfaces. Even a small film of water can help wood surfaces to mildew or rot over time, increasing the growth of mildew or mold.
How to Decrease Humidity Inside Your Home
Fortunately there are various options for removing moisture from the air inside your home.
If you have a humidifier active inside 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, consider purchasing a dehumidifier. While humidifiers put moisture in your home so the air doesn’t dry out, a dehumidifier extracts excess moisture out of the air.
Smaller, portable dehumidifiers can remove the water from a single room. However, these units require clearing water trays and usually service a somewhat limited area. A whole-house dehumidifier will extract moisture across your entire home.
Whole-house dehumidifier systems are regulated by a humidistat, which allows you to establish a humidity level precisely as you would select a temperature via your thermostat. The unit will run instantly when the humidity level surpasses the set level. These systems collaborate with your home’s HVAC system, so you will receive the best results if you contact experienced professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Magnolia.
Other Ways to Decrease 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 drawing the warm, humid air from these rooms out of your home before it can raise the humidity level inside your home.
- Ceiling fans. Spinning ceiling fans can also keep air flowing within 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 preventing the warm air from being caught against the windowpane.
By lowering humidity in your home and dispersing air throughout your home, you can make the most of clear, moisture-free windows even in the middle of the winter.