When we were children, we all loved fogging up our car or home windows and drawing pictures into the condensation. Whether stick figures or smiley face suns, we were thrilled at our ability to create art on the fly. As an adult, you may be less amused when fog appears on your car or your home windows. So, why are your windows fogging up? Keep reading to find out! 
The Cause
Having your windows fog up is a relatively common problem. While not usually a signal that something serious is wrong, it can point to some home improvement projects. Fog happens on your home windows when there is a significant temperature difference between the inside of your home and the exterior. When the outside is warmer than the inside, this can cause condensation to form. This typically happens most often when it is hot and humid outside, but cooler indoors.
On the other side, when temperatures start dropping outside, you may notice the interior of your windows starting to fog up. Again, this is caused by the dramatic temperature differences between the in and the out.
The Fix
Fogging up windows can be an annoyance, but fortunately, there are some things you can do to help curb this from happening. The goal is to decrease the overall humidity levels in your home. To do this, we recommend the following:
- Crack a window to help air circulate. This is especially important when taking a shower. Not only will it help prevent the windows from fogging up, but it will cut down on the chances of mold developing.
- Check your home’s humidifier and ensure it is working properly. To decrease condensation on windows, you can turn the humidifier off on days when the temperature differences are significant. We recommend turning off the humidifier during the wet season.
- Set your thermostat at the same temperature during days and nights to avoid fog-ups in the mornings.
- Install a heat recovery ventilator. The addition of a ventilator will help absorb excess moisture in your home and exchange old, stale air inside with fresh, clean air from the outside.
- Install special storm windows.
The Contractor
There are several excellent window products on the market that will insulate your home and prevent condensation. In addition, our team at Milanese Remodeling can recommend humidifiers (and best practices), and other devices that can help balance the moisture in your home. If you have questions about replacing the windows in your home, please contact us.