The windows of your home are a portal to the outdoors, a way to let light in when you take in the view of your garden, yard or scenery. The last thing you want to see is a sweaty window plastered in a coating of condensation.
Not only are windows plastered with condensation unsightly, they also can be evidence of a larger air-quality problem throughout your home. Luckily, there’s several things you can attempt to address the problem.
What Causes Condensation along Windows
Condensation on the inside of windows is formed by the moist warm air in your home mixing with the cooler surface of the windows. It’s especially commonplace around the winter when it’s much cooler outside than it is within your home.
Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes
When dealing with condensation, it’s necessary 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 created from the warm moist air inside your home collecting against 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, in which case the window has to be repaired or replaced.
- Condensation on the inside of the windows isn’t a window situation and can instead be resolved by adjusting the humidity across your home. Different things generate humidity inside a home, like showers, cooking, laundry or even breathing.
Why Condensation on Windows Can Be Trouble
Even though you might consider condensation in your windows is a cosmetic issue, it may also be evidence 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 Decrease Humidity Throughout Your Home
The good news is there are various options for extracting moisture from the air throughout your home.
If you have a humidifier running within your home – whether it be a small-scale unit or a whole-house humidifier – lower it further so the humidity inside your home decreases.
If you don’t have a humidifier going and your home’s humidity level is high, look into installing a dehumidifier. While humidifiers put moisture in your home so the air doesn’t get too dry, a dehumidifier pulls excess moisture out of the air.
Smaller, portable dehumidifiers can eliminate the water from an entire room. However, these units require emptying 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 managed by a humidistat, which permits you to specify a humidity level just as you would pick a temperature via your thermostat. The unit will start automatically when the humidity level exceeds the set level. These systems coordinate with your home’s HVAC system, so you will receive the best results if you contact qualified professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Safford.
Additional Ways to Reduce Condensation on Windows
- Exhaust fans. Adding exhaust fans in humidity hotspots like the bathroom, laundry room or above the oven can help by extracting the warm, moist air from these rooms out of your home before it can elevate the humidity level across your home.
- Ceiling fans. Spinning ceiling fans can also keep air circulating inside the home so humid air doesn’t get trapped in one area.
- Open window treatments. Throwing open the blinds or drapes can lower condensation by preventing the damp air from being stuck against the windowpane.
By decreasing humidity inside your home and dispersing air throughout your home, you can take advantage of clear, moisture-free windows even in the winter.