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

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

What Causes Condensation along Windows

Condensation on the interior of windows is created by the moist warm air in your home reaching the colder surface of the windows. It’s notably commonplace around the winter when it’s much cooler outside than it is within your home.

Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes

When discussing condensation, it’s necessary to recognize 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 inside a window is produced from the warm moist air inside your home collecting on the glass.
  • The moisture you notice between windowpanes is caused when the window seal fails and moisture gets in between the two panes of glass, and at that point the window should be repaired or replaced.
  • Condensation inside the windows isn’t a window issue and can instead be fixed by changing the humidity in your home. Different things cause humidity inside a home, such as showers, cooking, laundry or even breathing.

Why Condensation on Windows Can Be Trouble

Though you might think condensation on the inside of your windows is a cosmetic problem, it could also be indicating your home has higher humidity. If this is in fact the case, water may also be condensing on window frames, cold walls or other surfaces. Even a small film of water can cause wood surfaces to mildew or rot over time, increasing the growth of mildew or mold.

How to Decrease Humidity in Your Home

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

If you have a humidifier active within 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 active and your home’s humidity level is excessive, think about purchasing a dehumidifier. While humidifiers adds moisture in your home so the air doesn’t dry out, a dehumidifier pulls excess moisture out of the air.

Compact, portable dehumidifiers can absorb the water from an entire room. However, those units require emptying out water trays and most often service a small area. A whole-house dehumidifier will extract moisture from your entire home.

Whole-house dehumidifier systems are managed by a humidistat, which allows you to set a humidity level just like you would select a temperature with 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 .

Alternative Ways to Reduce Condensation on Windows

  • Exhaust fans. Putting in exhaust fans around humidity hotspots including the bathroom, laundry room or above the kitchen range can help by drawing the warm, moist air from these rooms out of your home before it can raise the humidity level inside your home.
  • Ceiling fans. Spinning ceiling fans can also keep air circulating within the home so humid air doesn’t get caught up in one area.
  • Opening up window treatments. Opening the blinds or drapes can lower condensation by preventing the warm air from being stuck against the windowpane.

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