The windows in your home open up to the outdoors, a way to allow light in while you take in 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 plastered with condensation unappealing, they also can be evidence of a more serious air-quality deficit in your home. Luckily, there’s multiple things you can do to resolve the problem.

What Produces Condensation along Windows

Condensation on the inside of windows is produced by the moist warm air throughout your home hitting the colder surface of the windows. It’s especially common during the winter when it’s much chillier outside than it is in your home.

Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes

When talking about condensation, it’s important to understand the contrast 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 within a window is created from the warm humid air inside your home forming against the glass.
  • Any moisture you see between windowpanes is caused when the window seal breaks down and moisture gets in between the two panes of glass, and by then the window should be repaired or replaced.
  • Condensation in the windows isn’t a window situation and can instead be solved by adjusting the humidity across your home. Numerous things produce humidity throughout a home, such as showers, cooking, bathing or even breathing.

Why Condensation on Windows Can Be an Issue

Though you might consider condensation inside your windows is a cosmetic issue, it could also be evidence your home has higher humidity. If that’s the case, water could also be accumulating on window frames, cold walls or other surfaces. Even a slim film of water can cause wood surfaces to mildew or rot over time, fostering the growth of mildew or mold.

How to Lower Humidity in Your Home

Thankfully there are various options for extracting moisture from the air in your home.

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

If you don’t have a humidifier active and your home’s humidity level is excessive, think about installing 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.

Smaller, portable dehumidifiers can eliminate the water from an entire room. However, those units require clearing water trays and generally service a small 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 set a humidity level the same like you would select a temperature with your thermostat. The unit will begin running immediately when the humidity level surpasses the set level. These systems coordinate with your home’s HVAC system, so you should contact qualified professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation .

Other Ways to Decrease Condensation on Windows

  • Exhaust fans. Adding exhaust fans around humidity hotspots like the bathroom, laundry room or above the stove can help by extracting the warm, moist air from these rooms out of your home before it can increase the humidity level throughout your home.
  • Ceiling fans. Turning on ceiling fans can also keep air circulating within the home so humid air doesn’t get caught up in one spot.
  • Opening up window treatments. Throwing open 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 circulating air throughout your home, you can take advantage of clear, moisture-free windows even during the winter.