The windows throughout your home are a gateway 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 would want to see is a sweaty window plastered in a film of condensation.

Not only are windows plastered with condensation unappealing, they also can be a sign of a larger air-quality issue inside your home. Fortunately, there’s numerous things you can do to resolve the problem.

What Creates Sweating along Windows

Condensation on the inside of windows is formed by the humid warm air throughout your home mixing with the colder surface of your windows. It’s especially commonplace over the winter when it’s much colder outside than it is in your home.

Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes

When discussing condensation, it’s necessary 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 damp air in your home forming against the glass.
  • The moisture you see between windowpanes is produced when the window seal breaks down and moisture gets in between the two panes of glass, and at that point the window has to be repaired or replaced.
  • Condensation inside the windows isn’t a window problem and can instead be resolved by changing the humidity inside your home. Different things generate humidity throughout a home, including showers, cooking, taking a bath or even breathing.

Why Sweating Windows Could Mean an Issue

Even though you might presume condensation in your windows is a cosmetic concern, 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 slim film of water can cause wood surfaces to mildew or rot over time, fostering the growth of mildew or mold.

How to Reduce Humidity Throughout Your Home

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

If you have a humidifier operating inside 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 excessive, think about installing a dehumidifier. While humidifiers adds moisture inside your home so the air doesn’t dry out, a dehumidifier draws excess moisture out of the air.

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

Whole-house dehumidifier systems are managed by a humidistat, which enables you to establish a humidity level precisely like you would select a temperature with your thermostat. The unit will run immediately when the humidity level exceeds the set level. These systems work with your home’s HVAC system, so you should contact skilled professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Rio Grande Valley.

Alternative Ways to Reduce Condensation on Windows

  • Exhaust fans. Putting in exhaust fans in humidity hotspots like 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 raise the humidity level throughout your home.
  • Ceiling fans. Spinning ceiling fans can also keep air circulating throughout the home so humid air doesn’t get trapped in one place.
  • Opening up window treatments. Pulling open the blinds or drapes can decrease condensation by stopping the warm air from being trapped against the windowpane.

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