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

Not only are windows covered in condensation unsightly, they also can be a sign of a larger air-quality problem within your home. Fortunately, there’s multiple things you can attempt to correct the problem.

What Creates Condensation along Windows

Condensation on the inside of windows is created by the damp warm air throughout your home reaching the cooler surface of your windows. It’s especially common over the winter when it’s much chillier outside than it is within your home.

Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes

When discussing condensation, it’s important to know the difference 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 inside a window is caused from the warm damp air in your home forming along the glass.
  • The moisture you find between windowpanes is caused when the window seal stops working and moisture seeps between the two panes of glass, and at that point the window has to be repaired or replaced.
  • Condensation on the inside of the windows isn’t a window issue and can instead be solved by adjusting the humidity across your home. Different things generate humidity throughout a home, like showers, cooking, laundry or even breathing.

Why Sweating Windows Could Mean a Problem

Although you might think condensation inside your windows is a cosmetic problem, it may also be a sign your home has excess humidity. If this is the case, water could also be accumulating on window frames, cold walls or other surfaces. Even a small film of water can encourage wood surfaces to mildew or rot over time, fostering the growth of mildew or mold.

How to Reduce Humidity in Your Home

Not to worry, because there are various options for removing moisture from the air inside your home.

If you have a humidifier active in 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, think about 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 remove the water from an entire room. However, these units require emptying out water trays and usually service a somewhat limited area. A whole-house dehumidifier will extract moisture from your entire home.

Whole-house dehumidifier systems are managed by a humidistat, which allows you to set a humidity level precisely like you would choose a temperature with your thermostat. The unit will start instantly when the humidity level exceeds the set level. These systems work with your home’s HVAC system, so you will receive the best results if you contact experienced professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Goshen.

Additional Ways to Lower Condensation on Windows

  • Exhaust fans. Adding exhaust fans in humidity hotspots like the bathroom, laundry room or above the oven can help by drawing the warm, moist air from these areas out of your home before it can increase the humidity level inside your home.
  • Ceiling fans. Spinning ceiling fans can also keep air flowing inside the home so humid air doesn’t get stuck in one spot.
  • Opening your window treatments. Throwing open the blinds or drapes can reduce condensation by preventing the damp air from being stuck against the windowpane.

By lowering humidity across your home and circulating air throughout your home, you can make the most of clear, moisture-free windows even in the middle of the winter.