The windows throughout your home open up to the outdoors, a way to draw light in when you enjoy the view of your garden, yard or landscape. The last thing you need to see is a sweaty window coated in a film of condensation.
Not only are windows plastered with condensation unappealing, they also can be evidence of a larger air-quality problem in your home. Luckily, there’s multiple things you can do to address the problem.
What Causes Condensation along Windows
Condensation on the interior of windows is formed by the humid warm air inside your home mixing with the cold surface of the windows. It’s especially commonplace over the winter when it’s much colder outside than it is inside your home.
Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes
When dealing with condensation, it’s important to understand the distinction between moisture on the inside of your windows compared to moisture in between the windowpanes. One is an indoor air quality issue and the other is a window issue.
- Moisture inside a window is created from the warm humid air throughout your home collecting on the glass.
- Existing moisture you notice between windowpanes is produced when the window seal fails and moisture gets in between the two panes of glass, in which case the window has to be repaired or replaced.
- Condensation in the windows isn’t a window problem and can instead be resolved by adjusting the humidity in your home. Many things cause humidity throughout a home, like showers, cooking, taking a bath or even breathing.
Why Condensation on Windows Can Be a Problem
Even though you might think condensation in your windows is a cosmetic issue, it may also be evidence your home has excess humidity. If this is in fact the case, water might also be condensing on window frames, cold walls or other surfaces. Even a slim film of water can encourage wood surfaces to mildew or rot over time, fostering the growth of mildew or mold.
How to Decrease Humidity Throughout Your Home
Thankfully there are various options for eliminating moisture from the air throughout your home.
If you have a humidifier running within 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, look into purchasing a dehumidifier. While humidifiers add moisture into your home so the air doesn’t dry out, a dehumidifier pulls excess moisture out of the air.
Compact, portable dehumidifiers can remove the water from a single room. However, those units require emptying out water trays and most often service a somewhat limited area. A whole-house dehumidifier will eliminate moisture across your entire home.
Whole-house dehumidifier systems are managed by a humidistat, which allows you to establish a humidity level just as you would select a temperature with your thermostat. The unit will run immediately when the humidity level overtakes the set level. These systems work with your home’s HVAC system, so you will want to contact experienced professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Derby.
Other Ways to Decrease Condensation on Windows
- Exhaust fans. Installing exhaust fans in humidity hotspots including the bathroom, laundry room or above the oven can help by extracting the warm, humid air from these spaces out of your home before it can elevate the humidity level in your home.
- Ceiling fans. Turning on ceiling fans can also keep air flowing throughout the home so humid air doesn’t get caught up in one spot.
- Opening up window treatments. Pulling open the blinds or drapes can lower condensation by preventing the warm air from being caught against the windowpane.
By lowering humidity in your home and dispersing air throughout your home, you can take advantage of clear, moisture-free windows even in the winter.