The windows throughout your home are a gateway to the outdoors, a way to allow light in when you take in the view of your garden, yard or scenery. The last thing you want to see is a sweaty window covered in a layer of condensation.

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

What Creates Condensation in Windows

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

Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes

When dealing with condensation, it’s crucial to know 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 within a window is produced from the warm moist air in your home condensing against the glass.
  • The moisture you see between windowpanes is formed when the window seal breaks down and moisture slips between the two panes of glass, and at that point the window needs 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 inside your home. Numerous things produce humidity in a home, like showers, cooking, taking a bath or even breathing.

Why Condensation on Windows Can Be Trouble

Even though you might presume condensation on the inside of your windows is a cosmetic problem, it may also be indicating your home has excess humidity. If that’s the case, water could also be condensing on window frames, cold walls or other surfaces. Even a slim film of water can cause wood surfaces to mildew or rot over time, increasing the growth of mildew or mold.

How to Reduce Humidity Inside Your Home

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

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

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

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

Whole-house dehumidifier systems are controlled by a humidistat, which enables you to specify a humidity level the same like you would select a temperature with your thermostat. The unit will run immediately when the humidity level exceeds the set level. These systems collaborate with your home’s HVAC system, so you should contact skilled professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation .

Additional Ways to Eliminate Condensation on Windows

  • Exhaust fans. Putting in exhaust fans around humidity hotspots such as the bathroom, laundry room or above the stove can help by extracting the warm, humid air from these areas out of your home before it can raise the humidity level in your home.
  • Ceiling fans. Spinning ceiling fans can also keep air moving throughout the home so humid air doesn’t get trapped in one spot.
  • Open window treatments. Pulling open the blinds or drapes can decrease condensation by stopping the humid 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 middle of the winter.