The windows throughout your home are a portal to the outdoors, a way to allow light in while you appreciate the view of your garden, yard or landscape. The last thing you want to see is a sweaty window plastered in a layer of condensation.

Not only are windows coated in condensation unsightly, they also can be evidence of a more serious air-quality deficit in your home. Thankfully, there’s multiple things you can attempt to address the problem.

What Creates Condensation on Windows

Condensation on the inside of windows is created by the moist warm air in your home mixing with the cooler surface of the windows. It’s notably prevalent over the winter when it’s much cooler outside than it is within your home.

Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes

When talking about condensation, it’s important to know the difference 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 inside a window is created from the warm humid air throughout your home collecting against the glass.
  • Any moisture you notice between windowpanes is formed when the window seal stops working and moisture gets in 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 fine-tuning the humidity inside your home. Many things cause humidity inside a home, such as showers, cooking, taking a bath or even breathing.

Why Sweating Windows Can Be Trouble

Although you might consider condensation on the inside of your windows is a cosmetic problem, it could also be a sign your home has high humidity. If that’s the case, water might also be condensing 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 in Your Home

Fortunately there are various options for removing moisture from the air throughout your home.

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

Compact, portable dehumidifiers can remove the water from a single room. However, portable units require emptying water trays and usually service a small area. A whole-house dehumidifier will extract moisture throughout your entire home.

Whole-house dehumidifier systems are managed by a humidistat, which permits you to specify a humidity level the same like you would choose a temperature via your thermostat. The unit will start instantly when the humidity level overtakes the set level. These systems coordinate with your home’s HVAC system, so you will want to contact skilled professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Rio Grande Valley.

Other Ways to Reduce 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 in your home.
  • Ceiling fans. Turning on ceiling fans can also keep air circulating within the home so humid air doesn’t get caught up in one area.
  • Opening your window treatments. Opening the blinds or drapes can decrease condensation by stopping the warm air from being stuck against the windowpane.

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