How To Keep Your House Windows From Fogging Up During Winter
During the winter, your house windows may start to fog up. Not only does this block your view and look bad from the outside, but it can also cause damage to your drywall and window trimmings as the condensation falls off the glass. Here's what you can do to combat this problem.
Know Where Condensation Comes From
The primary source of condensation on your windows is humidity within your home. This is often from steam from showers and cooking that didn't vent out. You may also have humidity inside from when you had your windows open during nicer weather. As the air gets colder from cooler temperatures, it can't hold as much moisture. It ends up on your windows because the temperature difference between the inside and outside is where the air can least hold water.
Keep Your Blinds Open During the Day
Keeping your blinds open while the sun is out can help prevent window condensation. The sun helps to warm the glass, so there isn't as much temperature difference to cause condensation. In addition, the sun helps to evaporate the condensation instead of having it sit on your glass.
A smart upgrade you can consider if you don't want to have to worry about opening your blinds (even in unused rooms) is automatic blinds that open and close based on a timer or sunlight.
Allow Air to Circulate on Your Windows
Air circulation also reduces condensation as the slight breeze keeps the condensation from forming and sticking. If you use heavy curtains for insulation at night, open them during the day to allow your home's air to circulate on the windows and also so the curtains don't trap the condensation.
You may also want to consider using blinds instead of curtains on windows where condensation is most likely to occur. That would be in your bathroom and kitchen where there's a lot of moisture. Blinds allow air to pass through more easily than curtains, so they can allow a slight airflow even when you have them closed for privacy or warmth.
To offset the insulation loss from switching from curtains to blinds, there are a couple of steps you can take. One possibility is upgrading to double-pane glass so the window itself has more insulation. Another option is adding exterior awnings that block cold winter winds from hitting your windows.
To learn more about how to protect your windows, contact a local windows blinds company like Sylvan's & Phillip's.
