The windows throughout your home are a portal to the outdoors, a way to let light in while you enjoy the view of your garden, yard or landscape. The last thing you need to see is a sweaty window plastered in a layer of condensation.
Not only are windows plastered with condensation unappealing, they also can be a symptom of a more serious air-quality problem within your home. Luckily, there’s several things you can try to address the problem.
What Creates Condensation along Windows
Condensation on the interior of windows is created by the damp warm air throughout your home mixing with the colder surface of your windows. It’s especially commonplace during the winter when it’s much chillier outside than it is inside your home.
Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes
When discussing condensation, it’s necessary to know 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 within a window is caused from the warm damp air in your home condensing along the glass.
- The moisture you notice between windowpanes is produced when the window seal breaks down and moisture seeps between the two panes of glass, in which case the window needs to be repaired or replaced.
- Condensation on the inside of the windows isn’t a window issue and can instead be fixed by changing the humidity across your home. Many things cause humidity in a home, such as showers, cooking, taking a bath or even breathing.
Why Sweating Windows Can Be a Problem
Though you might consider 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 slim film of water can cause wood surfaces to mildew or rot over time, promoting the growth of mildew or mold.
How to Reduce Humidity in Your Home
Fortunately there are several options for extracting moisture from the air inside your home.
If you have a humidifier active inside your home – whether it be a small-scale unit or a whole-house humidifier – lower it further so the humidity inside your home goes down.
If you don’t have a humidifier going and your home’s humidity level is high, consider getting a dehumidifier. While humidifiers introduces 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 a single room. However, portable units require emptying out water trays and most often service a fairly small area. A whole-house dehumidifier will extract moisture throughout your entire home.
Whole-house dehumidifier systems are regulated by a humidistat, which enables you to set a humidity level precisely like you would pick a temperature with your thermostat. The unit will begin running automatically 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 Philadelphia.
Other Ways to Reduce Condensation on Windows
- Exhaust fans. Adding exhaust fans near humidity hotspots including the bathroom, laundry room or above the oven can help by pulling the warm, moist air from these spaces out of your home before it can raise the humidity level in 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 up window treatments. Opening the blinds or drapes can lower condensation by preventing the warm air from being caught against the windowpane.
By reducing humidity inside your home and circulating air throughout your home, you can take advantage of clear, moisture-free windows even in the winter.