The windows throughout your home are a portal to the outdoors, a way to let light in when you appreciate the view of your garden, yard or other surroundings. The last thing you would want to see is a sweaty window plastered in a layer of condensation.
Not only are windows coated in condensation unsightly, they also can be evidence of a more serious air-quality deficit in your home. Fortunately, there’s multiple things you can attempt to address the problem.
What Creates Sweating on Windows
Condensation on the inside of windows is formed by the moist warm air in your home mixing with the cold surface of your windows. It’s particularly common during the winter when it’s much cooler outside than it is within your home.
Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes
When talking about condensation, it’s crucial to understand the contrast 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 inside a window is created from the warm damp air throughout your home collecting against the glass.
- The moisture you find between windowpanes is produced when the window seal fails and moisture gets in between the two panes of glass, and at that point the window has to be repaired or replaced.
- Condensation on the inside of the windows isn’t a window situation and can instead be solved by fine-tuning the humidity inside your home. Numerous things generate humidity inside a home, such as showers, cooking, taking a bath or even breathing.
Why Indoor Sweating on Windows Can Be a Problem
Although you might think condensation inside your windows is a cosmetic problem, it can be evidence your home has high humidity. If that’s the case, water may also be collecting on window frames, cold walls or other surfaces. Even a small film of water can cause wood surfaces to mildew or rot over time, fostering the growth of mildew or mold.
How to Decrease Humidity Throughout Your Home
Not to worry, because there are various options for removing moisture from the air throughout your home.
If you have a humidifier running in your home – whether it be a smaller unit or a whole-house humidifier – lower it further so the humidity inside your home decreases.
If you don’t have a humidifier active and your home’s humidity level is higher than you prefer, think about purchasing a dehumidifier. While humidifiers put moisture into your home so the air doesn’t get too dry, a dehumidifier draws excess moisture out of the air.
Compact, portable dehumidifiers can remove the water from a single room. However, portable units require emptying out water trays and usually service a small area. A whole-house dehumidifier will extract moisture throughout your entire home.
Whole-house dehumidifier systems are controlled by a humidistat, which permits you to specify a humidity level precisely like you would choose a temperature with your thermostat. The unit will run automatically when the humidity level exceeds the set level. These systems work with your home’s HVAC system, so you will want to contact qualified professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Crystal and Twin Cities.
Alternative Ways to Eliminate Condensation on Windows
- Exhaust fans. Putting in exhaust fans in humidity hotspots like the bathroom, laundry room or above the stove can help by drawing the warm, humid air from these areas out of your home before it can elevate the humidity level in your home.
- Ceiling fans. Running ceiling fans can also keep air swirling within the home so humid air doesn’t get trapped in one place.
- Opening your window treatments. Opening the blinds or drapes can lower condensation by stopping the warm air from being stuck against the windowpane.
By reducing 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.
