The windows throughout your home open up to the outdoors, a way to let 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 film of condensation.
Not only are windows plastered with condensation unattractive, they also can be evidence of a more substantial air-quality problem inside your home. Luckily, there’s numerous things you can try to resolve the problem.
What Creates Sweating on Windows
Condensation on the inner layer of windows is produced by the humid warm air in your home hitting the cold surface of the windows. It’s especially common around the winter when it’s much chillier outside than it is in your home.
Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes
When discussing condensation, it’s important to know the contrast 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 within a window is produced from the warm damp air throughout your home condensing against the glass.
- The moisture you find between windowpanes is caused when the window seal breaks down and moisture slips between the two panes of glass, and by then the window should be repaired or replaced.
- Condensation in the windows isn’t a window issue and can instead be solved by changing the humidity in your home. Different things generate humidity throughout a home, including showers, cooking, taking a bath or even breathing.
Why Indoor Sweating on Windows Can Be Trouble
Even though you might presume condensation inside your windows is a cosmetic issue, it could also be indicating 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 Reduce Humidity Inside Your Home
Not to worry, because there are numerous options for extracting moisture from the air inside your home.
If you have a humidifier running inside your home – whether it be a small-scale unit or a whole-house humidifier – lower it further so the humidity inside your home goes down.
If you don’t have a humidifier running and your home’s humidity level is high, consider installing a dehumidifier. While humidifiers put moisture into your home so the air doesn’t get too dry, a dehumidifier draws excess moisture out of the air.
Small, portable dehumidifiers can eliminate the water from an entire room. However, those units require emptying water trays and usually service a somewhat limited area. A whole-house dehumidifier will remove moisture throughout your entire home.
Whole-house dehumidifier systems are managed by a humidistat, which enables you to establish a humidity level just like you would select a temperature via your thermostat. The unit will run instantly when the humidity level exceeds the set level. These systems collaborate with your home’s HVAC system, so you should contact skilled professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Los Angeles.
Alternative Ways to Decrease Condensation on Windows
- Exhaust fans. Adding exhaust fans around humidity hotspots including the bathroom, laundry room or above the kitchen range can help by pulling the warm, humid air from these areas out of your home before it can increase the humidity level across your home.
- Ceiling fans. Spinning ceiling fans can also keep air moving inside the home so humid air doesn’t get trapped in one spot.
- Opening up window treatments. Opening the blinds or drapes can reduce condensation by preventing the warm air from being caught against the windowpane.
By lowering humidity across your home and moving air throughout your home, you can take advantage of clear, moisture-free windows even in the middle of the winter.