The windows in your home open up 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 covered in condensation unsightly, they also can be a sign of a larger air-quality problem inside your home. Luckily, there’s multiple things you can do to resolve the problem.

What Creates Sweating on Windows

Condensation on the interior of windows is formed by the damp warm air in your home hitting the cold surface of the windows. It’s particularly commonplace over the winter when it’s much colder outside than it is within your home.

Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes

When discussing condensation, it’s necessary to recognize the contrast between moisture on the inside of your windows versus 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 damp air in your home collecting on the glass.
  • Existing moisture you notice between windowpanes is caused when the window seal stops working and moisture seeps 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 resolved by changing the humidity in your home. Numerous things generate humidity throughout a home, including showers, cooking, taking a bath or even breathing.

Why Condensation on Windows Could Mean Trouble

Although you might think condensation inside your windows is a cosmetic problem, it can be a sign your home has high humidity. If this is in fact the case, water could also be accumulating on window frames, cold walls or other surfaces. Even a thin film of water can help wood surfaces to mildew or rot over time, promoting the growth of mildew or mold.

How to Lower Humidity Throughout Your Home

Thankfully there are several options for extracting moisture from the air inside your home.

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

If you don’t have a humidifier running and your home’s humidity level is excessive, think about purchasing a dehumidifier. While humidifiers put moisture inside your home so the air doesn’t get too dry, a dehumidifier pulls excess moisture out of the air.

Small, portable dehumidifiers can absorb the water from a single room. However, those units require emptying water trays and usually 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 permits you to specify a humidity level the same like you would pick a temperature with 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 want to contact qualified professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Bedford.

Alternative Ways to Lower Condensation on Windows

  • Exhaust fans. Putting in exhaust fans around humidity hotspots including the bathroom, laundry room or above the stove can help by pulling the warm, humid air from these areas out of your home before it can raise the humidity level inside your home.
  • Ceiling fans. Running ceiling fans can also keep air circulating 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 lower condensation by preventing the warm air from being stuck against the windowpane.

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