The windows of your home are a portal to the outdoors, a way to draw 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 covered in a layer of condensation.

Not only are windows plastered with condensation unsightly, they also can be a symptom of a larger air-quality problem inside your home. Luckily, there’s multiple things you can try to resolve the problem.

What Causes Sweating along Windows

Condensation on the interior of windows is produced by the moist warm air in your home mixing with the cold surface of the windows. It’s especially prevalent in the winter when it’s much chillier outside than it is inside your home.

Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes

When talking about condensation, it’s necessary to understand the difference 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 in your home forming against the glass.
  • Any moisture you see between windowpanes is produced when the window seal stops working and moisture gets in between the two panes of glass, and by then the window has to be repaired or replaced.
  • Condensation on the inside of the windows isn’t a window problem and can instead be solved by fine-tuning the humidity across your home. Different things generate humidity inside a home, like showers, cooking, taking a bath or even breathing.

Why Condensation on Windows Could Mean Trouble

Though you might consider condensation inside your windows is a cosmetic problem, it may also be indicating your home has high humidity. If this is the case, water might also be collecting on window frames, cold walls or other surfaces. Even a small film of water can encourage wood surfaces to mildew or rot over time, increasing the growth of mildew or mold.

How to Decrease Humidity Throughout Your Home

The good news is there are numerous options for extracting moisture from the air throughout your home.

If you have a humidifier active within your home – whether it be a small-scale unit or a whole-house humidifier – lower it further so the humidity inside your home goes down.

If you don’t have a humidifier going and your home’s humidity level is high, look into purchasing a dehumidifier. While humidifiers introduces 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 an entire room. However, these units require emptying water trays and generally service a somewhat limited area. A whole-house dehumidifier will extract moisture across your entire home.

Whole-house dehumidifier systems are managed by a humidistat, which permits you to specify a humidity level just like you would pick a temperature via your thermostat. The unit will run automatically when the humidity level exceeds the set level. These systems collaborate with your home’s HVAC system, so you will receive the best results if you contact skilled professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Crystal and Twin Cities.

Additional Ways to Lower Condensation on Windows

  • Exhaust fans. Putting in exhaust fans around humidity hotspots such as the bathroom, laundry room or above the kitchen range can help by pulling the warm, moist air from these areas out of your home before it can raise the humidity level across your home.
  • Ceiling fans. Turning on ceiling fans can also keep air circulating throughout the home so humid air doesn’t get caught up in one area.
  • Opening up window treatments. Throwing open the blinds or drapes can lower condensation by stopping the humid air from being stuck against the windowpane.

By decreasing humidity in your home and dispersing air throughout your home, you can make the most of clear, moisture-free windows even during the winter.