Condensation covering your windows is more than just an inconvenience; you could be risking serious damage to your Kansas City home. With the weather being so unpredictable, you could be facing rot, mold, and mildew at any time of the year. So what to do? Knowing how to get rid of condensation inside windows is as important as burnt ends on ribs.
While condensation on the window pane can be wiped away, you might be wondering how to absorb condensation from windows when it happens between panes of glass. Check out our recommendations on tackling condensation inside windows to clear up your view and safeguard your K.C. home.
Causes of Window Condensation
Excess humidity is the main cause of condensation on windows. So as a simple solution, dehumidifiers take the moist Kansas City air out of the environment, keeping as much water off of your windows as possible. Alternatively, you may try a moisture eliminator, which draws excess moisture out of the air. Some moisture-eliminating products contain scents, so you might want to put them away if you’re planning a classic Cowtown BBQ—they might just overpower the food.
If you’re looking for solutions for how to deal with window condensation in the bathroom, you may need a stronger bathroom fan. If you tend to take hot showers, you could be clogging up your bathroom with as much moisture as the Arabia steamboat in its heyday. By running the bathroom fan when you’re taking a shower or bath, you can draw moisture out of the bathroom and vent it away from your windows before the moisture can do damage.
If you take these steps to deal with window condensation and you still notice your windows have condensation between the panes, it could be a different issue.
Why Windows Get Condensation Inside
Condensation happens when water vapor hits a cool surface and condenses, due to the natural temperature difference. For water vapor to condense in between window panes, either the seal on double-hung windows has broken, or the desiccant, which absorbs moisture in between the panes of a double-hung window, can no longer keep up with the excess moisture. Another downside is that there’s less of a sound barrier between you and the aggravating K.C. traffic that might go on outside your window.
While you can troubleshoot the causes of window condensation and fix the problem when the panes have moisture, there’s no simple solution for how to get rid of condensation inside windows.
If the windows in your home are older, their seals are likely held in place with caulk. Due to the daily shifts in the K.C. weather, the caulk can weaken over time, which may lead the seals to fail.
Newer windows most frequently use a glazing bead spacer to hold the glass in place, and seals on these windows can fail due to age.
How to Stop Window Condensation on the Inside
If you have older windows, where the seals are held in place with caulk, you may be able to replace the caulk and bolster the seal. This is usually a short-term fix because the window technician who repairs the seal can’t refill the gas that escaped from the window. Your windows will be drafty without the gas fill since the gas blocks air transfer, and your utility bills may increase as well.
Caulking seals won’t stop window condensation long term either. Most of the time, your best bet is to replace your old windows with efficient replacement windows with a seal tighter than the Chiefs’ defensive line. But when you replace the windows, you remove the problem entirely, which means the condensation should stop.
If you’ve been wondering how to get rid of condensation inside windows, take action to replace failed seals before the excess moisture damages your home. Reach out today to get a quote for replacement windows, or to learn more about options for financing window replacement so you can safeguard your Kansas City home without going over budget.
