FAQs about the diagnosis & prevention of black or dark stains on indoor walls, ceilings, carpets, floors.

Tthis article series describes what to do about interior wall and ceiling thermal tracking stains, thermal bridging stains, building air leaks, and building insulation defects.

Indoor Stain Cure Q&As

FAQs on what to do when thermal tracking stains or other indoor stains are found on building interior surfaces,

These questions & answers about getting rid of or preventing indoor stains traced to thermal tracking or thermophoresis wree posted originally

at THERMAL TRACKING REMEDIES - be sure to review that article.

On 2018-05-07 by (mod) - diagnose & cure brown stains on indoor walls & ceilings

Briana, the dark vertical lines probably mark the location of wall studs - making these stains look like a variation on the thermal tracking we discuss at THERMAL TRACKING BRIDGING GHOSTING

Usually those stains show up as dark gray, almost black areas.

But IF the airborne dust that is being deposited contains brown material, brownish or tan stains can appear in the same pattern.
Examples of brownish stain particle sources include

• results of interior re-finishing,
• sanding a wood floor, and
• nicotine stains from smokers.
• red yeast growth - a fungal growth we sometimes find in buildings if the indoor area has been wet or flooded
  

On 2018-05-07 by Briana35

Can anyone tell me what is going on with this wall - see the brown stained walls in the photo above - Ed.

On 2018-03-15 by (mod) - diagnosing black oily dots or stains indoors

Sorry. ??

From just your photo I can't tell what that black residue is. I might be looking for sources of black dust or soot.

For example if your building is heated by an oil or gas-fired heating Appliance it might be operating incorrectly or even un safely.

Or we could be seeing a mold growth on the indoor wall surfaces, particulaly if your home is damp or has been wet or flooded.

We'd need a closer look, a lab sample, or perhaps best for you, an onsite inspection by a home inspector - see the EXPERTS DIRECTORY found at our page top links.

On 2018-03-14 by ??

There is black oily dots above master bedroom and bath close to ceiling. Ive cleaned with bleach. Residue is oily . what is this

On 2017-12-01 21:13:46.698189 by (mod)

T

You'll need to discuss the concern with whomever you find to be sure they have expertise specific to thermal tracking

Among environmental inspectors and home inspector you can find at the page top EXPERTS DIRECTORY or from a search for those terms in your local area.

On 2017-12-01 19:52:40.509940 by T. Law

Who can diagnose and repair thermal tracking problems?

On 2017-01-22 02:09:33.825200 by Mark

I have a newly constructed home that is 8yrs old and have ghosting on exterior walls which are 2x6 up on ceiling see where rafters run across the room have blown insulation and a ton in attic . Have a gas stove and wood burning fireplace which is not used much don't burn
A lot of candles also ceilings are 9 ft. Have heat pump furnace. And now starting to show up on screw heads . I keep temp 68 degrees
Please help.

On 2016-03-15 15:34:56.612691 by Anonymous

Thank you for the help. I will move forward and contact a home inspector. Your response is appreciated very much.

On 2016-03-15 15:02:58.023563 by (mod)

Fixing the marks is not the concern, Bev. That's simple cleaning and painting - not an insurance topic unless you had afire or puffback explosion or some similar event.

>The concern is whether or not there have been leaks that need further investigation; you can interview home inspectors to find one who has familiarity with and is willing to perform a more competent inspection of this particular question - some of those folks prefer the easier faster task of visual-only inspections but here I suspect that a few small test-cuts to explore the most-suspect areas are what's needed.

On 2016-03-15 01:14:27.575767 by Anonymous

Thanks for your knowledge and quick response.. The Inscurance company does not want to fix it saying these marks are common with vaulted ceilings. There were no marks on our ceiling or walls prior to the tree. What would you do if this was your home? I have 2 kids with health issues ( breathing). Should I call a home inspector?

On 2016-03-14 23:10:21.026260 by (mod)

Bev:

>Good grief. I don't quite know what to make of this. If water wet drywall or insulation and those wet materials were left in place, mold contamination is likely to form - that's true even if water didn't drip into the occupied space.

>Ghosting lines generally form over months or years, not just a few days

>Other lines or stains may appear when contaminants dissolved by water leach through building materials.

On 2016-03-14 23:04:50.933161 by Bev. Eaves

We had a large tree fall on our house in a windy snow storm.

.the tree about 65 feet tall and aprox...2,500. Lbs. the biggest part landed on our vaulted ceiling.

That night we noticed a black oval spot on ceiling..the next day more blackish spots with longer looking lines..

it looks just like your ghosting pictures..the tree was removed they can not see punctures holes on the roof but there is damage on the roof.. they did not tarp or repair the area until 2 weeks after the tree fell. Instead of tapping in the one area they patched with shingles on top of shingles..it has now rained 3 days..

New places appeared or the marks are bigger or longer.

One of these stripes goes from the ceiling to the baseboard. One area is horizontal and is 8 feet by 9 inches..

We have not seen any water dripping in.. It looks like what you describe as ghosting., we have lived in our home 16 years and never had this happen until the tree fell..any ideas on why this happened? We need help.

On 2016-01-28 04:51:47.305119 by Susan Kokolsky

I live in an apartment. 3 walls of the apartment get black marks on the studs and screws. These walls are exterior walls. I was told that candle burning causes this but I've never ever seen this in homes. How can I prevent this?

On 2015-04-22 18:45:15.157160 by (mod)

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Question: what is the best top coat sealant or paint to use over stains

(Jan 14, 2015) Marian Heller said:

Can I paint a lacquer primer or apply a coating of spray shellac over Zinsser 1-2-3? I recently moved into a friend's apartment and it badly needs painting. My friends are serious candle burners, and there are dark outlines around all the places where pictures and artwork hung, throughout the apartment.

Started with the bedroom - swept and wiped down the walls after using compound to repair the various places in the room where the paint was falling off the wall ....then applied primer ....

painted the ceiling Sat and the walls Sunday. When we went to remove the tape about an hour after painting, both the ceiling paint and the wall paint lifted/fell off in a sheetlike way.

I was thinking that perhaps years of oily candle residue made the walls 'slippery,' and it would explain why the primer didn't even stick to the ceiling.

OR maybe we didn't remove dust from sanding compounded areas, tho in a patch test afterward of the wall cleaned with tack cloth, primer still didn't stick. The Zinsser primer said don't use TSP, so we didn't wash walls beforehand.

Investigating, I found your website. There are ghost marks all over the apartment -- could that be why primer isn't sticking? Also, I've already primed hallway, which has black ghost marks all over it. Can I apply lacquer primer sealer over the primer (or spray shellac), or do I have to do something to remove it (if so, what? sanding?).

Thanks for your help!! At least we didn't paint the entire apartment before finding out about this!
Warm regards,
Marian

Reply:

I looked at the photos you sent by email - it looks as if there was a water or moisture or other problem; indeed this is a severe paint adhesion loss problem.

Before repairing or repainting I would make sure there were no leaks into ceilings or walls since if there were you have other investigation to do before painting.

After being sure there is no in-cavity damage or that there are nor were leaks there, you can clean with a TSP substitute, let dry thoroughly, then you can paint with a lacquer primer-sealer and then a finish coat and you should be OK.

If there were leaks - ever - into building cavities, especially where mold-friendly materials such as wood, drywall, paper, gypsum board, paint, some insulation products, were used, then some investigation of those cavities for hidden mold or damage would be in order.

(Jan 15, 2015) Anonymous said:
thanks...

The super is coming by for a moisture reading tomorrow, so I'm investigating leaks. Can I clean and apply the lacquer primer-sealer right over the one wall (different room than the disaster site) that has Z 1-2-3 primer, as well as walls I've not yet primed? thanks!

Reply:

I've had good success using a lacquer type primer sealer over surfaces that had persistent grease bleed-through staining. As long as you 've done basic surface cleaning it's usually OK. Rarely we find a wall stain that itself is dissolved-by and leaks through the lacquer.

Beware of water-based stain killers that work fine on many surfaces but don't seal as universally as lacquer-based products.

Question: Ghosting stains in New York City

(Mar 31, 2015) Ghosting in NYC said:
I seem to have ghosting on an interior wall of a bedroom that is adjacent to an exterior wall. I believe that the wall may be poorly insulated but I have no idea. What type of professional/expert do I need to hire to confirm that there is ghosting and to perform the necessary repairs?

I am confused as to whether I should consult a home inspector, an engineer, a general contractor, some other expert, etc. Thanks!

Reply:

Ghost
we answered the same query where you posted the question at THERMAL TRACKING BRIDGING GHOSTING

Article contents

• THERMAL TRACKING REMEDIES - Remedies for dark or black indoor wall & ceiling stains or marks - What to do when thermal tracking stains are identified on building interior surfaces
• STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO CURING INDOOR STAINS due to Thermal Tracking
• INSPECT AND DIAGNOSE ACCURATELY to Find the Causes of Indoor Stains and Thermal Tracking
• INDOOR STAINING AND OTHER CLEANUP/REMOVAL RECOMMENDATIONS
• WARNINGS & ADVICE About Indoor Stain & Thermal Tracking Cleanup Procedures
• REPAIR GUIDE ADDRESSING INTERIOR SURFACE STAINS or Thermal Tracking & Ghosting
• CLEANING OR PAINTING OF STAINED WALLS & CEILINGS to Correct Stains & Ghosting
• INVESTIGATE STAINED BUILDINGS Further for Hidden Damage due to Moisture or Mold
• EXTERIOR & INTERIOR RECOMMENDATIONS To Correct the Causes of Indoor Stains & Thermal Tracking
• MECHANICAL SYSTEMS RECOMMENDATIONS to Stop Indoor Thermal Tracking, Soot Stains, Ghosting

[Click to enlarge any image]

If you are seeing sooting streaks read about THERMAL TRACKING BRIDGING GHOSTING at InspectApedia.com

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Continue reading at THERMAL TRACKING REMEDIES or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

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Recommended Articles

• INDOOR HOUSE DUST & DEBRIS
• THERMAL TRACKING BRIDGING GHOSTING
• HUMIDITY LEVEL TARGET
• STAIN DIAGNOSIS on BUILDING INTERIORS - home

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