The windows throughout your home are a portal to the outdoors, a way to draw light in while you take in the view of your garden, yard or scenery. The last thing you would want to see is a sweaty window plastered in a film of condensation.

Not only are windows covered in condensation unattractive, they also can be a sign of a more serious air-quality problem throughout your home. Fortunately, there’s multiple things you can do to resolve the problem.

What Produces Sweating on Windows

Condensation on the interior of windows is formed by the humid warm air inside your home hitting the colder surface of the windows. It’s particularly commonplace in the winter when it’s much chillier outside than it is within your home.

Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes

When talking about condensation, it’s important to recognize the contrast between moisture on the inside of your windows versus 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 humid air throughout your home condensing against the glass.
  • Existing moisture you see between windowpanes is produced 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 problem and can instead be fixed by fine-tuning the humidity in your home. Many things generate humidity in a home, like showers, cooking, laundry or even breathing.

Why Sweating Windows Can Be Trouble

Even though you might consider condensation inside your windows is a cosmetic concern, it can be a sign your home has higher humidity. If that’s the case, water may also be accumulating on window frames, cold walls or other surfaces. Even a thin film of water can encourage wood surfaces to mildew or rot over time, increasing the growth of mildew or mold.

How to Decrease Humidity Throughout Your Home

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

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

If you don’t have a humidifier running and your home’s humidity level is higher than you prefer, look into getting a dehumidifier. While humidifiers adds moisture into your home so the air doesn’t become too dry, a dehumidifier draws excess moisture out of the air.

Small, portable dehumidifiers can absorb the water from a single room. However, portable units require emptying water trays and generally service a somewhat limited area. A whole-house dehumidifier will extract moisture from your entire home.

Whole-house dehumidifier systems are regulated by a humidistat, which allows you to establish a humidity level the same like you would pick a temperature via your thermostat. The unit will start instantly when the humidity level surpasses the set level. These systems coordinate with your home’s HVAC system, so you will want to contact experienced professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Macon.

Alternative Ways to Lower Condensation on Windows

  • Exhaust fans. Installing exhaust fans around humidity hotspots including the bathroom, laundry room or above the oven can help by drawing the warm, humid air from these rooms out of your home before it can elevate the humidity level inside your home.
  • Ceiling fans. Spinning ceiling fans can also keep air swirling within 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 warm air from being stuck against the windowpane.

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