The windows in your home are a portal to the outdoors, a way to let light in while you appreciate the view of your garden, yard or scenery. The last thing you want to see is a sweaty window plastered in a layer of condensation.
Not only are windows coated in condensation unattractive, they also can be a sign of a larger air-quality deficit within your home. Thankfully, there’s several things you can do to correct the problem.
What Causes Condensation in Windows
Condensation on the interior of windows is produced by the moist warm air throughout your home reaching the cold surface of your windows. It’s particularly prevalent over the winter when it’s much colder outside than it is inside your home.
Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes
When talking about condensation, it’s necessary to know the contrast 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 within a window is created from the warm moist air throughout your home collecting on the glass.
- The moisture you see between windowpanes is formed when the window seal fails and moisture gets in between the two panes of glass, in which case the window should be repaired or replaced.
- Condensation inside the windows isn’t a window situation and can instead be resolved by adjusting the humidity across your home. Different things produce humidity throughout a home, like showers, cooking, bathing or even breathing.
Why Condensation on Windows Can Be an Issue
Although you might presume condensation in your windows is a cosmetic concern, it may also be a sign your home has excess humidity. If that’s the case, water may also be condensing on window frames, cold walls or other surfaces. Even a thin 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
Fortunately there are numerous options for removing moisture from the air inside 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 decreases.
If you don’t have a humidifier active and your home’s humidity level is excessive, consider purchasing a dehumidifier. While humidifiers add moisture into your home so the air doesn’t become too dry, a dehumidifier extracts excess moisture out of the air.
Smaller, portable dehumidifiers can eliminate the water from an entire room. However, those units require emptying water trays and most often service a small area. A whole-house dehumidifier will remove moisture across your entire home.
Whole-house dehumidifier systems are managed by a humidistat, which allows you to specify a humidity level just as you would select a temperature on your thermostat. The unit will run automatically when the humidity level overtakes the set level. These systems collaborate with your home’s HVAC system, so you should contact skilled professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Cape Coral.
Alternative Ways to Eliminate 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 increase the humidity level in your home.
- Ceiling fans. Spinning ceiling fans can also keep air flowing inside the home so humid air doesn’t get caught up in one place.
- Open window treatments. Pulling open the blinds or drapes can reduce condensation by preventing the damp air from being trapped against the windowpane.
By reducing humidity in your home and moving air throughout your home, you can take advantage of clear, moisture-free windows even during the winter.