The windows throughout your home open up to the outdoors, a way to draw light in when you take in the view of your garden, yard or scenery. The last thing you want to see is a sweaty window plastered in a coating of condensation.

Not only are windows coated in condensation unsightly, they also can be a symptom of a larger air-quality problem in your home. Fortunately, there’s multiple things you can do to correct the problem.

What Produces Sweating on Windows

Condensation on the inside of windows is created by the moist warm air throughout your home hitting the cooler surface of the windows. It’s particularly prevalent around the winter when it’s much colder outside than it is in your home.

Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes

When talking about condensation, it’s necessary to recognize the distinction between moisture on the inside of your windows in comparison to moisture in between the windowpanes. One is an indoor air quality issue and the other is a window issue.

  • Moisture on the inside of a window is caused from the warm moist air inside your home collecting along the glass.
  • Any moisture you see between windowpanes is caused when the window seal stops working and moisture slips between the two panes of glass, in which case the window has to be repaired or replaced.
  • Condensation inside the windows isn’t a window problem and can instead be fixed by adjusting the humidity inside your home. Different things cause humidity inside a home, including showers, cooking, bathing or even breathing.

Why Sweating Windows Can Be Trouble

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

How to Reduce Humidity Throughout Your Home

Fortunately there are several options for eliminating moisture from the air in your home.

If you have a humidifier running within 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 active and your home’s humidity level is higher than you prefer, think about purchasing a dehumidifier. While humidifiers put moisture in your home so the air doesn’t dry out, a dehumidifier pulls excess moisture out of the air.

Smaller, portable dehumidifiers can remove the water from an entire room. However, those units require emptying out water trays and usually service a fairly small area. A whole-house dehumidifier will extract moisture from your entire home.

Whole-house dehumidifier systems are controlled by a humidistat, which enables you to set a humidity level just 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 will want to contact skilled professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Ames.

Other Ways to Decrease Condensation on Windows

  • Exhaust fans. Installing exhaust fans in humidity hotspots including the bathroom, laundry room or above the kitchen range can help by extracting the warm, humid air from these spaces out of your home before it can elevate the humidity level throughout your home.
  • Ceiling fans. Running ceiling fans can also keep air moving within the home so humid air doesn’t get stuck in one place.
  • Opening your window treatments. Opening the blinds or drapes can reduce condensation by stopping the humid air from being caught against the windowpane.

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