The windows in your home are a gateway to the outdoors, a way to let light in while you enjoy the view of your garden, yard or other surroundings. The last thing you need to see is a sweaty window plastered in a coating of condensation.

Not only are windows plastered with condensation unattractive, they also can be a symptom of a larger air-quality deficit throughout your home. Fortunately, there’s multiple things you can attempt to address the problem.

What Produces Sweating along Windows

Condensation on the inside of windows is formed by the moist warm air inside your home reaching the cooler surface of the windows. It’s especially commonplace in the winter when it’s much chillier outside than it is within your home.

Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes

When dealing with condensation, it’s crucial to know the distinction between moisture on the inside of your windows versus moisture in between the windowpanes. One is an air-quality issue and the other is a window issue.

  • Moisture on the inside of a window is created from the warm moist air in your home collecting along the glass.
  • Existing moisture you find between windowpanes is formed when the window seal fails and moisture seeps between the two panes of glass, in which case the window needs to be repaired or replaced.
  • Condensation inside the windows isn’t a window situation and can instead be solved by changing the humidity in your home. Numerous things produce humidity in a home, like showers, cooking, taking a bath or even breathing.

Why Condensation on Windows Could Mean Trouble

Though you might consider condensation on the inside of your windows is a cosmetic issue, it could also be indicating your home has high 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 help wood surfaces to mildew or rot over time, increasing the growth of mildew or mold.

How to Decrease Humidity in Your Home

Fortunately there are numerous options for extracting moisture from the air inside your home.

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

If you don’t have a humidifier running and your home’s humidity level is excessive, look into getting a dehumidifier. While humidifiers introduces moisture in your home so the air doesn’t become too dry, a dehumidifier pulls excess moisture out of the air.

Compact, portable dehumidifiers can absorb the water from a single room. However, these units require emptying out water trays and usually service a somewhat limited area. A whole-house dehumidifier will eliminate moisture throughout your entire home.

Whole-house dehumidifier systems are managed by a humidistat, which permits you to set a humidity level the same like you would select a temperature on your thermostat. The unit will begin running instantly when the humidity level surpasses the set level. These systems collaborate with your home’s HVAC system, so you will want to contact skilled professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Mission Viejo.

Other Ways to Decrease Condensation on Windows

  • Exhaust fans. Installing exhaust fans near humidity hotspots such as the bathroom, laundry room or above the oven can help by extracting the warm, moist air from these areas out of your home before it can increase the humidity level across your home.
  • Ceiling fans. Turning on ceiling fans can also keep air moving within the home so humid air doesn’t get stuck in one place.
  • Opening up window treatments. Throwing open the blinds or drapes can decrease condensation by stopping the warm air from being caught against the windowpane.

By reducing humidity in your home and dispersing air throughout your home, you can take advantage of clear, moisture-free windows even in the winter.