The windows of your home are a portal to the outdoors, a way to allow light in while you take in the view of your garden, yard or landscape. 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 unappealing, they also can be evidence of a more serious air-quality issue in your home. Fortunately, there’s several things you can do to resolve the problem.

What Creates Sweating along Windows

Condensation on the interior of windows is formed by the humid warm air throughout your home reaching the cooler surface of your windows. It’s particularly common during the winter when it’s much colder outside than it is inside your home.

Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes

When discussing condensation, it’s necessary to recognize the distinction 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 collecting along the glass.
  • Any moisture you notice between windowpanes is formed when the window seal stops working and moisture slips between the two panes of glass, and by then the window has to be repaired or replaced.
  • Condensation in the windows isn’t a window situation and can instead be resolved by adjusting the humidity inside your home. Numerous things cause humidity in a home, including showers, cooking, taking a bath or even breathing.

Why Indoor Sweating on Windows Could Mean Trouble

Even though you might presume condensation inside your windows is a cosmetic concern, it may also be indicating your home has higher humidity. If this is the case, water may also be condensing 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 Reduce Humidity Inside Your Home

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

If you have a humidifier operating in your home – whether it be a small unit or a whole-house humidifier – lower it further so the humidity inside your home comes down.

If you don’t have a humidifier going and your home’s humidity level is high, look into getting a dehumidifier. While humidifiers adds moisture in your home so the air doesn’t dry out, a dehumidifier extracts excess moisture out of the air.

Small, portable dehumidifiers can eliminate the water from a single room. However, those units require emptying out water trays and generally service a somewhat limited area. A whole-house dehumidifier will extract moisture throughout your entire home.

Whole-house dehumidifier systems are controlled by a humidistat, which enables you to specify a humidity level the same like you would pick a temperature via your thermostat. The unit will start instantly when the humidity level surpasses the set level. These systems collaborate with your home’s HVAC system, so you should contact qualified professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Wisconsin Rapids.

Additional Ways to Lower Condensation on Windows

  • Exhaust fans. Installing exhaust fans around humidity hotspots including the bathroom, laundry room or above the oven can help by drawing the warm, humid air from these rooms out of your home before it can raise the humidity level throughout your home.
  • Ceiling fans. Turning on ceiling fans can also keep air moving inside the home so humid air doesn’t get caught up in one place.
  • Opening your window treatments. Pulling open the blinds or drapes can reduce condensation by stopping the damp air from being caught against the windowpane.

By reducing humidity across your home and circulating air throughout your home, you can take advantage of clear, moisture-free windows even in the winter.