In addition to
blocking your view, excessive condensation on window glass can pool, drip, or
even freeze. The moisture can cause
paint to peel, wood to rot, and floors to buckle. To prevent this type of
potential damage to your home, it’s important to reduce excessive condensation
whenever possible.
To reduce condensation, you must first understand how it happens. Moisture forms wherever hot and cold air meet. The best example to illustrate this is a
glass of iced tea that is set on a table and when it’s lifted from the surface,
it leaves behind a ring of moisture that has condensated over time. The more moisture
you have in the air, the easier it is for condensation to form on the glass.
The colder the glass is, the more moisture will be pulled out of the air.
When it comes to your windows, there are two main things to do to combat and
reduce moisture on the glass:
- Reduce moisture in the air. You can do this by buying a dehumidifier, turning down the humidifier setting on your furnace, or turning on exhaust fans commonly located above your stove or in your bathroom. Lastly, when it’s not too cold outside, try opening your windows from time to time to allow fresh air to flow throughout your home.
- Raise the blinds. When blinds are closed, the heat from inside the room cannot get to the glass, making the surface colder. This, in turn, causes more moisture to form. Raising or opening the blinds allows heat to warm the glass and reduce condensation.
- Have warmer glass. When your glass surface is warmer, it will be harder for moisture to form. The best way to increase glass warmth in your home is to have more energy efficient windows. Windows with “low-e” on the surface and argon between the panes are much more energy efficient.
One important
issue to consider is that with older homes, air tends to leak more, so moisture
levels dissipate. This is a result of air flow and moisture moving in and out
of your home more frequently. Newer homes, on the other hand, tend to be sealed
tighter because of updated building codes. This means that any indoor moisture
produced by your HVAC system, cooking, showering, or even breathing will be
trapped in your home and can ultimately require more attention to avoid
excessive moisture levels.
You may be wondering how to identify when the moisture on your windows has
become so excessive that the only solution for resolving the issue is to either
replace the glass or the full window entirely. The best way to tell if the
glass is bad is by touching the glass on the inside and outside of the window
and examining the space between the panes of glass. If both the inside and
outside of the window are dry, but you can still see moisture between the panes
on the inside, the glass has seal failure and you will want to address this
problem. At Omaha Door & Window, we’re proud to
offer both glass replacement and window replacement services. We are here to help guide you to make sure
you make the best decision for your home.
Contact us
today if you have questions about your window glass or would like to schedule a
consultation with one of our experts.