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

Not only are windows coated in condensation unappealing, they also can be a sign of a larger air-quality deficit throughout your home. Thankfully, there’s several things you can do to correct the problem.

What Creates Sweating in Windows

Condensation on the interior of windows is created by the humid warm air in your home mixing with the cold surface of the windows. It’s especially common over the winter when it’s much chillier outside than it is within your home.

Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes

When talking about condensation, it’s necessary to know 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 inside a window is produced from the warm moist air inside your home collecting against the glass.
  • The moisture you notice between windowpanes is formed when the window seal fails and moisture slips between the two panes of glass, and at that point the window has to be repaired or replaced.
  • Condensation on the inside of the windows isn’t a window issue and can instead be resolved by changing the humidity in your home. Numerous things produce humidity in a home, including showers, cooking, taking a bath or even breathing.

Why Sweating Windows Can Be an Issue

Though you might consider condensation on the inside of your windows is a cosmetic problem, it may also be a sign your home has high humidity. If that’s the case, water could also be collecting on window frames, cold walls or other surfaces. Even a slim film of water can help wood surfaces to mildew or rot over time, promoting the growth of mildew or mold.

How to Lower Humidity in Your Home

Thankfully there are several options for eliminating moisture from the air inside your home.

If you have a humidifier running within your home – whether it be a small-scale unit or a whole-house humidifier – lower it further so the humidity inside your home decreases.

If you don’t have a humidifier running and your home’s humidity level is excessive, consider getting a dehumidifier. While humidifiers adds moisture in your home so the air doesn’t become too dry, a dehumidifier draws excess moisture out of the air.

Small, portable dehumidifiers can remove the water from an entire room. However, portable units require emptying water trays and usually service a somewhat limited area. A whole-house dehumidifier will eliminate moisture across your entire home.

Whole-house dehumidifier systems are controlled by a humidistat, which permits you to set a humidity level precisely like you would select a temperature with your thermostat. The unit will begin running instantly when the humidity level exceeds the set level. These systems work with your home’s HVAC system, so you will want to contact skilled professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Wisconsin Rapids.

Additional Ways to Reduce Condensation on Windows

  • Exhaust fans. Adding exhaust fans near humidity hotspots including the bathroom, laundry room or above the kitchen range can help by extracting the warm, humid air from these rooms out of your home before it can elevate the humidity level in your home.
  • Ceiling fans. Running ceiling fans can also keep air flowing inside the home so humid air doesn’t get trapped in one area.
  • Opening your window treatments. Opening the blinds or drapes can lower condensation by preventing the warm air from being stuck against the windowpane.

By reducing humidity across your home and dispersing air throughout your home, you can make the most of clear, moisture-free windows even in the middle of the winter.