The windows in your home are a gateway to the outdoors, a way to allow light in while you enjoy the view of your garden, yard or landscape. 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 more substantial air-quality issue within your home. Thankfully, there’s multiple things you can attempt to correct the problem.

What Causes Sweating on Windows

Condensation on the interior of windows is produced by the humid warm air throughout your home mixing with the colder surface of your windows. It’s notably prevalent during the winter when it’s much cooler outside than it is inside your home.

Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes

When discussing condensation, it’s crucial to understand the difference between moisture on the inside of your windows compared to moisture in between the windowpanes. One is an indoor air quality issue and the other is a window issue.

  • Moisture within a window is created from the warm moist air in your home forming against the glass.
  • The moisture you find between windowpanes is caused when the window seal fails and moisture seeps between the two panes of glass, and at that point the window has to be repaired or replaced.
  • Condensation in the windows isn’t a window issue and can instead be solved by adjusting the humidity inside your home. Numerous things cause humidity throughout a home, like showers, cooking, laundry or even breathing.

Why Indoor Sweating on Windows Could Mean Trouble

Though you might presume condensation in your windows is a cosmetic issue, it can be a sign your home has high humidity. If this is in fact the case, water could also be accumulating on window frames, cold walls or other surfaces. Even a slim film of water can encourage wood surfaces to mildew or rot over time, increasing the growth of mildew or mold.

How to Reduce Humidity Inside Your Home

Thankfully there are various options for extracting moisture from the air throughout your home.

If you have a humidifier operating within your home – whether it be a smaller 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 higher than you prefer, look into installing a dehumidifier. While humidifiers adds moisture inside your home so the air doesn’t get too dry, a dehumidifier extracts excess moisture out of the air.

Compact, portable dehumidifiers can remove the water from a single room. However, portable units require clearing water trays and most often service a small area. A whole-house dehumidifier will remove moisture across your entire home.

Whole-house dehumidifier systems are regulated by a humidistat, which enables you to set a humidity level just like you would choose a temperature on 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 qualified professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Santa Clarita.

Other Ways to Eliminate Condensation on Windows

  • Exhaust fans. Installing exhaust fans around humidity hotspots including the bathroom, laundry room or above the kitchen range can help by extracting the warm, moist air from these areas out of your home before it can elevate the humidity level throughout your home.
  • Ceiling fans. Running ceiling fans can also keep air moving inside the home so humid air doesn’t get trapped in one spot.
  • Opening up window treatments. Pulling open the blinds or drapes can decrease condensation by stopping the damp air from being stuck against the windowpane.

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