A small amount of window condensation is nothing to stress about, but excess amounts can build up and cause damage to window frames and walls; because of this, ensuring proper humidity levels is vital. Keep reading to learn 8 ways to reduce window condensation.
For starters, you will find it useful to buy a hygrometer to measure temperature and relative humidity (RH), which basically means the amount of water vapor present in air, expressed as a percentage of the amount needed for saturation. Think of a cold soda can sweating on a warm day, or a steaming cup of hot coffee.
To learn more about how controlling window condensation can help you avoid damage to your home, follow these eight easy steps!
1. Turn down the humidifier.
While the perfect time to use the humidifier is the winter, it is recommended to keep the humidity level to between 20-40%, depending on the outdoor temperature. Use a lower setting when the temperature is below 20 degrees, and a higher setting above freezing to reduce window condesation. The right setting will help your heating system perform optimally and avoid excess condensation on your windows.
2. Open your windows.
My wife opens all the windows in our bedrooms every morning for 10-20 minutes. This is a great way to freshen the air in the home and remove excess humidity and moisture from the air. Since we run an essential oil humidifier all night, it is extra important to remove that excess humidity – if you run any humidifiers in your home, this step is extra important!
3. Circulate the air.
Running a ceiling fan will help send warmer air back down to the bottom of the room and help reduce windwo condensation; this is called a conductive loop. Imagine a lava lamp as the light bulb heats the lava – it rises to the top of the lamp, cools down and settles again at the bottom. The same thing happens in your living spaces of your home.
4. Run bathroom and kitchen fans.
Turn on your kitchen range hood or microwave fan when cooking, and turn on your bathroom fan when showering or using the sink. Both will remove excess moisture from the air, and this will decrease evaporation time and improve humidity in the air as well.
5. Welcome some house plants.
Plants help absorb moisture in the air, and benefit the air quality of the home and its occupants simultaneously by absorbing toxins and producing oxygen. Plants also boost mood, productivity, concentration and creativity, and reduce stress and fatigue, all while assisting in reducing window condensation.
6. Run a dehumidifier.
Often used throughout the year for basements and crawl spaces, a dehumidifier in the 1st floor or 2nd floor living space is a great way to reduce excess humidity overall, leading to less window frame and wall damage.
7. Rain-X.
This is a synthetic product applied to exterior glass surfaces prone to condensation – it helps clear up glass and keep it clean. Overall, it will help moisture to not stick to the outside of your window, and instead roll off.
8. Let the sun remove it.
Direct sunlight will remove any condensation on the exterior of the window almost immediately.
Green Attic is dedicated to happy homes and healthy families. Visit our website for more great information and schedule a free energy audit today: www.greeninsulationexperts.com . We will use a thermal imaging camera to detect counterproductive thermal transfer, reduce your energy consumption and make your home more comfortable, safe, and healthy.
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