Q&A on our photo guide that help diagnose types & causes of stains on indoor surfaces & materials:

This article series describes, provides photographs, & diagnoses the causes of interior wall, ceiling, flooring or carpeting stains and explains how to recognize their probable cause and source, including soot stains, house dust stains, pet or animal stains, and thermal tracking or thermal bridging stains associated with building air leaks, and building insulation defects.

FAQs on the Causes of Indoor Stains on Carpet, Cabinet Doors, HVAC Registers, Ceilings, Walls

These questions and answers about diagnosing stains on indoor surfaces or materials were posted originally at STAINS on INDOOR SURFACES, PHOTO GUIDE FAQs - you definitely want to check out that photo-guide.

On 2018-04-27 by (mod) - why are there brown stains on my bathroom walls?

Hari I'd like to help but with not a shred of information about the building or its mechanical systems nor the stain nor building conditions, age, materials, I can't guess at just what is the cause of a red stain.

You could try attaching a photo of the stain and another giving a more-distant view of the wall (use the picture frame icon adjacent to the Comment button.

It seems unlikely that red stains on a basin and red stains on the wall would be from the same cause, unless, for EXAMPLE, iron content in water, or mud in water is both staining the basin and for some reason running down and staining a wall.

On 2018-04-26 by Hari Kesava

Dear Sir,
I am Hari. I am staying in a room. I used to clean total room including bathroom which is attached in bedroom.

I have seen some suspicious stains (reddish brown stains) on the walls of the bathroom and also on the basin. It's second time that I have seen that stains.

Can you please tell me what might be the reason behind it.
I am afraid to go bathroom in my room as I have seen that stains.

On 2018-03-20 by (mod) - just cleaning alone won't stop thermal tracking stains

just cleaning and painting will not prevent the occurrence of thermal tracking stains. You would want to look for underlying causes such as a source of high levels of indoor dust or soot in the indoor air or incomplete insulation or abnormal moisture conditions indoors.

See details about the cause and cure of the stains you might be describing

at THERMAL TRACKING BRIDGING GHOSTING

After looking into the stain causes or sources, and then after cleaning, use a lacquer-primer sealant over the stained areas before re-painting. I find that some of the other (non-lacquer based) "stain killer" paints will still bleed through some stain substances.

On 2018-03-20 by jill

I have pretty severe indoor tracking on a third floor bedroom with vaulted ceilings.

if i repaint using the stain resistant paint will that prevent
me from seeing the stains which i assume will return in a matter of months.

On 2017-09-08 17:18:19.360173 by Lori

I have brown stuff dripping down my wall but only in livingroom area...I keep reading about condensation but that usually happens in bathroom or kitchen where steam is often.

Can anyone explain why I have brown stains dripping sown my livingroom wall???

On 2017-08-28 07:16:03.283794 by Anonymous

@Anonymous,
Dan, also the black spots are on different parts of the brick. Left side, right side, even on the floor of the brick

On 2017-08-28 07:13:53.044964 by Anonymous

@Anonymous,
Dan., The wood burner haven't been used for many years 5+.... I was told by a friend I should paint over the brick with special paint.. will that solve the problem or make it worse?

On 2017-08-28 07:08:32.201178 by Anonymous

Hi. Yesterday I noticed a stinky smell in our living room. Come to find out thier are black small circular spots on the brick wall behind my wood burner. I believe it's mold. I went to Lowe's and brought a spray for surfaces that contain mold. It has seem to stopped the smell but the spots are still their. Any suggestions on what this could be?

On 2017-08-26 14:21:16.859430 by (mod) - cleaning alone won't cure a mold problem

Anon

Mold "sprays" might help clean up mold but are not a proper remedy. The remedy is to

1. clean or remove the mold

2. find and fix the leak that caused the mold to grow.

It would be unusual but not impossible for mold to grow on brick. Molds generally want to grow on an organic material where there is mold-food. On brick behind a wood burner, where surfaces are normally heated and dry, mold would be unusual.


Anon: greasy oily spots on a bedroom wall growing in number are worth investigating, including a look into the wall cavity for leaks. I can't guess in more detail as I can't see what's going on at your home by etext

On 2017-08-26 06:01:22.412128 by Anonymous

Hi. Yesterday I noticed a stinky smell in our living room. Come to find out thier are black small circular spots on the brick wall behind my wood burner.

I believe it's mold. I went to Lowe's and brought a spray for surfaces that contain mold. It has seem to stopped the smell but the spots are still their. Any suggestions on what this could be?

On 2016-10-20 21:23:44.545823 by Anonymous

Greasy oily circular spots on bedroom wall. Growing in number

On 2016-09-25 03:16:54.130354 by (mod) - brown spots under the old mattress and box spring

Sorry Karen, there's just not enough information for me to Hazard a guess.

On 2016-09-24 21:49:03.791291 by Karen Johnson

Question: I got a new mattress today. When the old mattress and box springs were removed, I was horrified to see numerous dark brown spots in one area.

They were about 1/2 inch in diameter.

What would cause that and what can I do about it? Of course now it's under the new heavy mattress and box springs so doing anything would be rather difficult.

On 2016-01-24 17:26:45.344134 by (mod) -

Dale I can't diagnose the stains from just your e-text. I'd be looking for a leak or an interior soot or debris source; You can send photos if you like, using our page bottom CONTACT link.

On 2016-01-24 04:27:19.390381 by Dale Laravee

The church I attend is 70 years old. Over the last 20 years or so a problem with the walls and ceilings discoloring or ghosting has developed.

These don't look like stains with defined edges such as those that may be following a beam or joint. They appear more cloud like with irregular softer borders. Do you have any idea what would cause this problem when it hadn't existed for the first 50 years?

On 2016-01-05 14:22:15.816665 by (mod) -

Amy you can use the page bottom CONTACT link to send us photos for comment.

On 2016-01-05 11:19:45.541647 by Amy

we discovered these stains in a home we bought yesterday. It's in various areas of our finished basement. The home is 30 years old with a walk-out basement. Please help determine if mold or another environmental stain? The color throws us off...It's reddish brown with a smearing pattern on the painted baseboard bleeding into the carpet but also goes up the walls. How can I upload photos?

On 2015-12-16 12:23:20.661537 by (mod) -

Sorry I don't know what a hot water register is.

If you are referring to a hot water heating baseboard cover, I recommend replacing the cover as the most quick and economical approach

. If you can't do that you're going to need to use normal metal surface cleaning and repainting methods: wire brush, sand, clean thoroughly, prime, paint.

On 2015-12-15 19:22:49.594004 by Alison

How do you get the rust off of a hot water register in a bathroom caused by urine

On 2015-04-22 15:18:40.857060 by (mod) -

Use the "Click to Show or Hide FAQs" link just above to see recently-posted questions, comments, replies

Question: diagnose oval marks the size of a man's thumb on ceilings

(July 21, 2014) Donna Shaw said:

I have two outside walls in my living room, with vaulted ceiling, that started to get oval-shaped marks about the size of a man's thumb in the same places for the last six or seven years.

They appear to be oily but are not to the touch. They are worse in the summer and sometimes they actually weep and run.

This room only has one coat of paint plus the contractors coat. I tried washing them off but although they lessen, they don't ever go away.I asked a professional painter for his opinion and he had no idea what could cause this.

He checked my walk-in crawlspace and it is completely dry.

This summer I have probably twenty to twenty-five on each wall. They are smaller this year but each has a center that looks wet.

Some are running. I listened for bees...no sound and there's hardly any bees left anymore anyway. Any idea what is causing this? I'd really like to repaint but not if it's just going to happen again. Thank you.

Reply:

Donna,

take a look at the article titled THERMAL TRACKING BRIDGING GHOSTING

you may be seeing ghosting at drywall nails and condensation on those points, particularly if the spots are at regular intervals and map the location of wall studs or other building framing members.

Try painting the stains with a lacquer primer sealer before re-painting the surface.

Question: black stains on wood floor

(Aug 1, 2014) Ann said:
I got a wooden floor and it gone black I think my cat wee there how do I know if it wee or damp help me please

Reply:

Ann, this article will help you recognize the stain type on your floors: STAINS PETS, FLOORS

Question: dark spots on carpeting

(Aug 31, 2014) Helen Booth said:
My hall and landing carpet get dark spots on it which have no odour and feel greasy to touch. When I pull the carpet up the boards and underlay aren't wet. The stains seem to spread more during the winter (could it be to do with rainwater?).

I'm at a bit of a loss. Thinking of pulling the hall carpet up and seeing what happens on the floorboards for a bit.

Don't know hat kind of 'expert' to call out. Builder? Drains? Flooring? We've lived here a year and the previous occupants did have 2 small dogs but as I say the marks don't smell and they do fade and then reappear intermittently. Thanks.

Reply:

Helen

Do you think the stains could be due to air movement and leaks? - see the notes in the article above about thermal tracking.

Stuart Weston said [OPINION]

Some carpet cleaners can damage our carpets . Chemicals can damage the carpets . You can use some household tricks such as using a solution of vinegar and baking powder.

Question: how to remove severe ghosting stains on walls

(Jan 9, 2015) pam gallagher said:
i have severe ghosting stains on all of my walls. getting insulation looked at but what do i clean it with. it is severe!

Reply:

Pam

Any household cleaner, such as a TSP substitute or non-sudsing detergent works well; you'll probably have to re-paint.

But if you don't address the cause of these stains they will reappear anew.

See THERMAL TRACKING BRIDGING GHOSTING

...

Continue reading at STAINS on INDOOR SURFACES, PHOTO GUIDE - topic home, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

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Recommended Articles

• STAIN DIAGNOSIS on BUILDING INTERIORS - home
• THERMAL TRACKING BRIDGING GHOSTING

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