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

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

What Creates Sweating along Windows

Condensation on the interior of windows is created by the damp warm air inside your home reaching the colder surface of your windows. It’s especially prevalent around the winter when it’s much colder outside than it is in your home.

Inside Moisture vs. In Between Panes

When talking about condensation, it’s crucial to know the difference between moisture on the inside of your windows in comparison to moisture in between the windowpanes. One is an air-quality issue and the other is a window issue.

  • Moisture within a window is produced from the warm humid air in your home condensing on the glass.
  • The moisture you notice between windowpanes is formed when the window seal stops working and moisture slips between the two panes of glass, and at that point the window needs to be repaired or replaced.
  • Condensation in the windows isn’t a window situation and can instead be solved by fine-tuning the humidity inside your home. Numerous things cause humidity throughout a home, such as showers, cooking, laundry or even breathing.

Why Sweating Windows Can Be an Issue

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

How to Reduce Humidity Inside Your Home

Not to worry, because there are several options for extracting moisture from the air inside your home.

If you have a humidifier operating in 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 high, look into installing a dehumidifier. While humidifiers introduces moisture inside your home so the air doesn’t dry out, a dehumidifier pulls excess moisture out of the air.

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

Whole-house dehumidifier systems are regulated by a humidistat, which allows you to establish a humidity level just like you would pick a temperature on your thermostat. The unit will run instantly when the humidity level overtakes the set level. These systems collaborate with your home’s HVAC system, so you will want to contact experienced professionals for whole-house dehumidifier installation Rapid City.

Additional Ways to Decrease Condensation on Windows

  • Exhaust fans. Adding exhaust fans in humidity hotspots including the bathroom, laundry room or above the kitchen range can help by extracting the warm, moist air from these spaces out of your home before it can raise the humidity level in your home.
  • Ceiling fans. Spinning ceiling fans can also keep air moving inside the home so humid air doesn’t get stuck in one area.
  • Opening up window treatments. Throwing open the blinds or drapes can lower condensation by stopping the humid air from being trapped against the windowpane.

By lowering humidity inside your home and dispersing air throughout your home, you can take advantage of clear, moisture-free windows even in the winter.