The windows throughout your home open up to the outdoors, a way to draw light in as you enjoy the view of your garden, yard or scenery. The last thing you would want to see is a sweaty window covered in a coating of condensation.

Not only are windows coated in condensation unappealing, they also can be evidence of a more serious air-quality deficit within your home. Luckily, there’s multiple things you can do to address the problem.

What Creates Sweating along Windows

Condensation on the inside of windows is produced by the moist warm air in your home mixing with the cooler surface of your windows. It’s notably commonplace around the winter when it’s much chillier outside than it is in your home.

Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes

When talking about condensation, it’s important to recognize the difference between moisture on the inside of your windows in comparison 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 caused from the warm moist air throughout your home collecting on the glass.
  • Any moisture you notice between windowpanes is caused when the window seal breaks down and moisture gets in between the two panes of glass, in which case the window should be repaired or replaced.
  • Condensation inside the windows isn’t a window situation and can instead be solved by fine-tuning the humidity in your home. Different things generate humidity in a home, like showers, cooking, laundry or even breathing.

Why Indoor Sweating on Windows Can Be a Problem

Although you might presume condensation in your windows is a cosmetic issue, it may also be evidence 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 thin film of water can help wood surfaces to mildew or rot over time, fostering the growth of mildew or mold.

How to Lower Humidity in Your Home

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

If you have a humidifier running in your home – whether it be a smaller unit or a whole-house humidifier – lower it further so the humidity inside your home comes down.

If you don’t have a humidifier going and your home’s humidity level is higher than you prefer, look into installing a dehumidifier. While humidifiers introduces moisture in your home so the air doesn’t become too dry, a dehumidifier pulls excess moisture out of the air.

Smaller, portable dehumidifiers can eliminate the water from a single room. However, these units require emptying out water trays and most often service a somewhat limited area. A whole-house dehumidifier will remove moisture from your entire home.

Whole-house dehumidifier systems are controlled by a humidistat, which allows you to set a humidity level just like you would choose a temperature with your thermostat. The unit will start automatically when the humidity level overtakes the set level. These systems collaborate with your home’s HVAC system, so you should contact experienced professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation The Bay Area.

Additional Ways to Eliminate Condensation on Windows

  • Exhaust fans. Adding exhaust fans in humidity hotspots such as the bathroom, laundry room or above the oven can help by extracting the warm, moist air from these rooms out of your home before it can increase the humidity level inside your home.
  • Ceiling fans. Turning on ceiling fans can also keep air swirling within the home so humid air doesn’t get trapped in one spot.
  • Opening your window treatments. Pulling open the blinds or drapes can lower condensation by stopping the damp air from being trapped against the windowpane.

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