The windows throughout your home are a portal to the outdoors, a way to draw light in when you enjoy the view of your garden, yard or landscape. The last thing you want to see is a sweaty window coated in a coating of condensation.

Not only are windows plastered with condensation unattractive, they also can be a sign of a more substantial air-quality issue inside your home. Luckily, there’s multiple things you can do to correct the problem.

What Produces Condensation along Windows

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

Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes

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

  • Moisture inside a window is created from the warm moist air throughout your home condensing against the glass.
  • The moisture you notice between windowpanes is formed when the window seal stops working 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 issue and can instead be solved by fine-tuning the humidity inside your home. Different things generate humidity inside a home, such as showers, cooking, taking a bath or even breathing.

Why Condensation on Windows Can Be an Issue

Even though you might presume condensation inside your windows is a cosmetic concern, it can be evidence your home has higher humidity. If that’s the case, water could also be collecting 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

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

If you have a humidifier active within your home – whether it be a smaller unit or a whole-house humidifier – lower it further so the humidity inside your home decreases.

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

Compact, portable dehumidifiers can absorb the water from a single room. However, these units require clearing water trays and generally service a small area. A whole-house dehumidifier will remove moisture from your entire home.

Whole-house dehumidifier systems are controlled by a humidistat, which permits you to set a humidity level the same like you would choose a temperature with your thermostat. The unit will run immediately when the humidity level surpasses the set level. These systems work with your home’s HVAC system, so you will receive the best results if you contact skilled professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation .

Additional Ways to Lower Condensation on Windows

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

By lowering humidity inside your home and moving air throughout your home, you can take advantage of clear, moisture-free windows even during the winter.