The windows throughout your home are a portal to the outdoors, a way to draw light in while you appreciate the view of your garden, yard or scenery. The last thing you want to see is a sweaty window plastered in a coating of condensation.

Not only are windows plastered with condensation unappealing, they also can be evidence of a more serious air-quality issue inside your home. Fortunately, there’s multiple things you can do to address the problem.

What Produces Sweating along Windows

Condensation on the inside of windows is formed by the moist warm air inside your home reaching the cold surface of the windows. It’s especially common during 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 recognize the contrast between moisture on the inside of your windows versus moisture in between the windowpanes. One is an indoor air quality issue and the other is a window issue.

  • Moisture on the inside of a window is produced from the warm humid air throughout your home condensing on the glass.
  • The moisture you find between windowpanes is produced when the window seal fails and moisture slips between the two panes of glass, in which case the window needs to be repaired or replaced.
  • Condensation on the inside of the windows isn’t a window issue and can instead be solved by fine-tuning the humidity across your home. Many things generate humidity inside a home, like showers, cooking, bathing or even breathing.

Why Condensation on Windows Could Mean Trouble

Even though you might consider condensation in your windows is a cosmetic issue, it could also be evidence your home has excess humidity. If this is in fact 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, fostering the growth of mildew or mold.

How to Reduce Humidity in Your Home

The good news is there are numerous options for eliminating moisture from the air inside your home.

If you have a humidifier operating 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 higher than you prefer, think about getting a dehumidifier. While humidifiers adds moisture in your home so the air doesn’t get too dry, a dehumidifier draws excess moisture out of the air.

Compact, portable dehumidifiers can absorb the water from a single room. However, these units require clearing water trays and usually service a somewhat limited area. A whole-house dehumidifier will eliminate moisture from your entire home.

Whole-house dehumidifier systems are regulated by a humidistat, which enables you to set a humidity level precisely like you would choose a temperature with your thermostat. The unit will run automatically when the humidity level exceeds the set level. These systems coordinate with your home’s HVAC system, so you should contact skilled professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Oxford.

Additional Ways to Reduce Condensation on Windows

  • Exhaust fans. Putting in exhaust fans in humidity hotspots including the bathroom, laundry room or above the stove can help by drawing the warm, moist air from these spaces out of your home before it can elevate the humidity level throughout your home.
  • Ceiling fans. Spinning ceiling fans can also keep air moving throughout the home so humid air doesn’t get stuck in one area.
  • Opening your window treatments. Pulling open the blinds or drapes can reduce condensation by stopping the humid air from being caught against the windowpane.

By reducing humidity across your home and dispersing air throughout your home, you can enjoy clear, moisture-free windows even during the winter.