The windows throughout your home are a gateway to the outdoors, a way to let light in while you enjoy the view of your garden, yard or other surroundings. The last thing you need to see is a sweaty window coated in a coating of condensation.

Not only are windows covered in condensation unattractive, they also can be a symptom of a larger air-quality problem in your home. Luckily, there’s several things you can try to correct the problem.

What Produces Condensation in Windows

Condensation on the inner layer of windows is formed by the moist warm air in your home mixing with the cooler surface of the windows. It’s particularly common in 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 know the distinction 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 notice between windowpanes is produced 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 inside the windows isn’t a window issue and can instead be solved by adjusting the humidity in your home. Different things generate humidity inside a home, like showers, cooking, laundry or even breathing.

Why Condensation on Windows Can Be an Issue

Even though you might presume condensation in 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 condensing 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 Inside Your Home

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

If you have a humidifier running inside 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 excessive, think about getting a dehumidifier. While humidifiers introduces moisture inside your home so the air doesn’t dry out, a dehumidifier extracts excess moisture out of the air.

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

Whole-house dehumidifier systems are controlled by a humidistat, which allows you to specify a humidity level the same like you would choose a temperature on your thermostat. The unit will start instantly when the humidity level overtakes the set level. These systems work with your home’s HVAC system, so you will want to contact experienced professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation .

Alternative Ways to Decrease Condensation on Windows

  • Exhaust fans. Adding exhaust fans around humidity hotspots including the bathroom, laundry room or above the kitchen range can help by drawing the warm, moist air from these spaces out of your home before it can increase the humidity level across your home.
  • Ceiling fans. Turning on ceiling fans can also keep air swirling inside the home so humid air doesn’t get trapped in one place.
  • Opening up window treatments. Opening the blinds or drapes can reduce condensation by stopping the damp air from being trapped against the windowpane.

By reducing humidity inside your home and circulating air throughout your home, you can take advantage of clear, moisture-free windows even during the winter.