The windows throughout your home are a gateway to the outdoors, a way to allow light in when you take in the view of your garden, yard or scenery. The last thing you would want to see is a sweaty window covered in a layer of condensation.

Not only are windows plastered with condensation unsightly, they also can be evidence of a more serious air-quality issue in your home. Thankfully, there’s several things you can attempt to resolve the problem.

What Produces Sweating on Windows

Condensation on the inside of windows is produced by the damp warm air inside your home mixing with the cooler surface of the windows. It’s notably common in the winter when it’s much colder outside than it is in your home.

Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes

When discussing condensation, it’s necessary to know the contrast between moisture on the inside of your windows compared 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 damp air throughout your home condensing on the glass.
  • The moisture you find between windowpanes is produced when the window seal stops working and moisture gets in between the two panes of glass, in which case the window should be repaired or replaced.
  • Condensation in the windows isn’t a window situation and can instead be solved by fine-tuning the humidity inside your home. Many things cause humidity inside a home, like showers, cooking, laundry or even breathing.

Why Condensation on Windows Could Mean an Issue

Even though you might presume condensation on the inside of your windows is a cosmetic issue, it can be evidence your home has excess humidity. If that’s the case, water might also be accumulating on window frames, cold walls or other surfaces. Even a slim film of water can encourage wood surfaces to mildew or rot over time, promoting the growth of mildew or mold.

How to Decrease Humidity in Your Home

Thankfully there are various options for eliminating moisture from the air inside your home.

If you have a humidifier operating 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 active and your home’s humidity level is high, look into getting a dehumidifier. While humidifiers introduces moisture inside your home so the air doesn’t become too dry, a dehumidifier extracts excess moisture out of the air.

Compact, portable dehumidifiers can eliminate the water from an entire room. However, portable units require clearing water trays and usually service a fairly small area. A whole-house dehumidifier will remove moisture from your entire home.

Whole-house dehumidifier systems are regulated by a humidistat, which permits you to establish a humidity level the same like you would select a temperature on your thermostat. The unit will run immediately when the humidity level surpasses 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 Siloam Springs.

Other Ways to Lower Condensation on Windows

  • Exhaust fans. Adding exhaust fans in humidity hotspots like the bathroom, laundry room or above the kitchen range can help by pulling the warm, moist air from these spaces out of your home before it can raise the humidity level inside your home.
  • Ceiling fans. Running ceiling fans can also keep air moving inside the home so humid air doesn’t get caught up in one area.
  • Open window treatments. Throwing open the blinds or drapes can reduce condensation by preventing the humid air from being caught against the windowpane.

By decreasing humidity across your home and dispersing air throughout your home, you can enjoy clear, moisture-free windows even in the middle of the winter.