The windows in your home are a portal to the outdoors, a way to let light in as you appreciate the view of your garden, yard or other surroundings. The last thing you would want to see is a sweaty window coated in a layer of condensation.

Not only are windows coated in condensation unsightly, they also can be evidence of a larger air-quality issue inside your home. Luckily, there’s numerous things you can try to correct the problem.

What Produces Condensation along Windows

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

Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes

When talking about condensation, it’s important to recognize the distinction between moisture on the inside of your windows compared to 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 produced from the warm humid air inside your home collecting on the glass.
  • Existing moisture you find between windowpanes is produced when the window seal fails and moisture gets in between the two panes of glass, in which case the window needs to be repaired or replaced.
  • Condensation inside the windows isn’t a window situation and can instead be solved by changing the humidity in your home. Different things produce humidity in a home, such as showers, cooking, laundry or even breathing.

Why Condensation on Windows Can Be a Problem

Though you might consider condensation on the inside of your windows is a cosmetic concern, it can be indicating your home has excess humidity. If that’s the case, water might 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, promoting the growth of mildew or mold.

How to Reduce Humidity in Your Home

Fortunately there are various options for extracting moisture from the air inside your home.

If you have a humidifier running inside your home – whether it be a small 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 higher than you prefer, think about purchasing 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 absorb the water from a single room. However, those units require emptying out water trays and most often service a fairly small area. A whole-house dehumidifier will extract moisture from your entire home.

Whole-house dehumidifier systems are controlled by a humidistat, which enables you to specify a humidity level just like you would pick a temperature on your thermostat. The unit will begin running immediately when the humidity level exceeds the set level. These systems collaborate with your home’s HVAC system, so you should contact experienced professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation .

Other Ways to Eliminate Condensation on Windows

  • Exhaust fans. Putting in exhaust fans near humidity hotspots like the bathroom, laundry room or above the kitchen range can help by pulling the warm, humid 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 swirling throughout the home so humid air doesn’t get caught up in one place.
  • Open window treatments. Opening the blinds or drapes can lower condensation by preventing the warm air from being stuck against the windowpane.

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