More Q&A about Indoor stains in buildings traced to black or dark thermal tracking or ghosting lines:

These bridging or ghosting stain FAQs help provide answers about the pattern, location, & causes of indoor stains explained by thermal tracking, ghosting, or bridging.

This article series describes & diagnoses the cause of various interior wall and ceiling stains and explains how to recognize thermal tracking, (also called ghosting or ghosting stains or thermal bridging stains), building air leaks, and building insulation defects. Often these stains are mistaken for toxic indoor mold.

FAQs on Bridging, Thermal Tracking, Ghosting, Sooting, Thermophoresis, Electrostatic Deposition, Plating-Out Stains

These replies to reader questions about Bridging, Thermal Tracking, Ghosting, Sooting, Thermophoresis, Electrostatic Deposition, Plating-Out Stains were posted originally at THERMAL TRACKING BRIDGING GHOSTING - home (or its companion articles) - please be sure to reviewe the causes, effects, and cures of ghosting stains starting at that page.

Question: Are the stains in this house in Montville Township NJ thermal tracking?

[Click to enlarge any image]

Shown in the photo: black stains on an interior wall, rising above hot water heating baseboards in a Montville NJ home, reader submitted.

2016/03/11 Anonymous said:

Are the stains in this house in Montville Township N J thermal tracking?

This may be a bit of a stretch but in looking to buy a house I'm wondering if from the pictures in the link provided it can be determined that the satins on the wall are indeed Thermal Tracking.

The house has been vacant for some time, I'd say at least 6 months. Any opinions on what i'm seeing here?

[Reader provided link to online photographs of the home in question]

Reply: yes. These photos include examples of thermal tracking stains, suggest possible stain causes, and also include a photo of shadows that are probably not thermal tracking

I went back to your original link and saw that there were additional photos. Certainly there are thermal tracking stains on the house interior walls in several of the photos.

The black stains along a light-yellow interior wall and found above the heating baseboard are classic examples of thermal tracking: soot and indoor air particles deposited by air movement across the wall surface.

But a closer look at the photos you submitted tell us more useful information that explains the patterns of thermal tracking found in this home as well as some of the possible sources of soot and debris on the walls.

Watch out: keep in mind that while we list some opinions based on the photos, a professional inspection of the building should permit a more accurate description of the causes of these interior stains and should include addressing potential IAQ and heating system safety questions that should be considered when evaluating in door stains.

• Explanation of gaps in thermal tracking stain patterns: What about that area where there is much less wall staining in the photograph above? I pose that there was probably a large piece of furniture in this area, resulting in less air movement up the wall.

Some possible sources of the dark particles that form these stains, besides the usual components of house dust, are suggested by two more of your photographs:

• Fireplace as source of indoor soot particles showing up as wall & ceiling stains:
  
  Above: the fireplace may have been an important source of unusually high levels of soot in this home, contributing to stains found throughout the photos submitted by the reader. Notice that very dark area on the ceiling centered over the fireplace?
  
  But the observation that dark stains also occur on walls around the fireplace as vertical stripes marking the probable location of wall studs tells us that while the fireplace may have been an important indoor soot particle source, the stain pattern still follows the thermal tracking phenomenon: soot accumulation in patterns marking cooler areas on the wall surface.
  
  Watch out: if the fireplace in this home is a gas-operated appliance, the soot indicates that it is unsafe, risking fatal carbon monoxide poisoning from improper gas heater operation.
  
  If the fireplace is a wood-burning unit your inspector will probably recommend a thorough inspection of the chimney flue for safety and proper draft.

• Kitchen as source of indoor soot particles & stains on ceilings: the photo above shows very dark ceilings over about half of the kitchen area.
  
  The uniformity of the stains and the odd cessation of the stain pattern in a straight line in the upper center of the photo might tell us about a difference in ceiling paints or a difference in air movement or drafts within the ceiling cavity.
  
  It is possible that messy cooking in this kitchen was a contributor to staining in this area.
• Oil burner or gas burner as source of indoor soot particles: However the stains on walls and ceilings were so ubiquitous in the photos of the first floor of this home that an on-site inspector will probably be looking for a significant soot or particle source such as an oil burner puffback explosion.
  
  Watch out: if an oil burner is not properly maintained a puffback explosion can blow soot throughout a home and the heating system is unsafe.
  
  See OIL BURNER SOOT & PUFFBACKS
  
  If a gas burner is putting out soot the system is unsafe and risks fatal CO poisoning. Shut off such heating equipment and ask for professional inspection & repair service.
  
  See GAS BURNER FLAME & NOISE DEFECTS

• Parallel dark stains on walls that are not thermal tracking: what about the photograph just above? I think these are not thermal tracking stains, for the following reasons:
  • The stains are too close together to mark typical wall-stud framing. Wall stud spacing on 16" or 24" centers are one of the most common explanation (or part of the explanation) of the spacing of parallel stains on walls.
  • The stains on this wall are behind a light source shining up through the hallway guardrail balusters and the angle of light from below, visible on the right hand wall in the photo suggests that the primary light source for this photo was from below - explaining why the "baluster shadows" are so high on the wall.
  • Also see STAINS MISTAKEN for GHOSTING

 

On 2018-04-06 by (mod) - thermal tracking stains after roof damage & high winds

I can think of some reasons that such lines might appear in a short time and very unusual conditions including the ones that you described.

Please use the picture frame icon next to the comment button and attach photos, one for comment, to let me take a look at your situation.

On 2018-04-06 by Megan

We recently had a nor’easter with extremely high winds. The winds tore a good portion of shingles off our roof and sucked all the attic access doors into the attic. We noticed vertical lines from ceiling to floor on the interior of every external wall after the storm.

All the drywall nails are also dark and the majority are now popped. I should maybe mention it’s a large house with a pellet stove in the basement which was put out by the winds during the storm. We also have a heat pump with oil back up and a gas fireplace.

I read these lines usually appear overtime but they were not there prior to the storm. These lines look identical to pictures posted of thermal tracking. Is this possible?

On 2018-04-03 by (mod) -

Gwendolyn you can if you like use the picture frame icon next to the Comment button to post one photo per comment - pending moderator approval they'll appear.

On 2018-04-02 by Gwendolyn A. Young

I live in a newly developed senior citizen apartment building. It has four floors and a basement. There is a access door panel in the hall wall and one in the ceiling. The one on the wall near the floor when opened has a lot of debris in the cavity. There is a piece of equipment that I would like identified, and its purpose.

Is it part of a ventilation system or the HVAC system? There is always air moving inside there. I also hear movement inside and sounds of water dripping. Some of the wood looks to have white growth on it and loots rotten.

The ceiling access door panel duct looks to have a tear in it and an unsealed opening going through the joist. Is there something messing here to seal the opening?

Thank you in advance for any information you can give. I do have photos of both areas.

On 2018-02-20 by (mod) - thermal tracking in our rental apartment due to probable candle burning

Thank you Emily

That's a classic photo that will help other readers recognize thermal tracking patterns.

In this stained ceiling the wide dark areas suggest areas of extra heat loss, perhaps because of a paucity of insulation.

Click to enlarge the image and you can also see dark spots that mark drywall screws or nails in the ceiling joists.

On 2018-02-20 by Emily -

Example of thermal tracking in our rental apartment due to probable candle burning in the bedroom. Stud nail pattern visible.

On 2017-12-11 by Cindy D

We are interested in purchasing a house in the Phoenix area, but see significant thermal tracking on the ceiling, especially under what appears to be the HVAC ducts

. Is that normal due to cool air flowing through the ducts? What questions should we be asking

On 2017-10-28 by Worried employee

Work in an enclosed kitchen lab with 5 home ovens running 5 hours a day testing food products.

There is black soot streaking marks on anything of plastic materials spoon forks plastic bags etc and the ceiling titles are black where air returns are located.

Air purifier after 2 months totally black filers. Is this black material dangerous?

On 2017-05-04 by (mod) - brown stain forming on the wall behind our tv.

If your TV produces heat as certainly many do, that may be causing a convection current and dust deposition.

Also look once more with care outside for fine points or openings in the brick that might admit water. You might also try borrowing a moisture meter to survey the wall from the inside.

On 2017-05-04 by Steven Wright

There has been a brown stain forming on the wall behind our tv. It does feel cold to the touch. On the outside of that wall is brick which I don't know would cause anything but it could be relevant.

On 2017-02-26 by (mod) - at night their is a dark line on the ceiling

I can't guess, Kathy. Perhaps only at night - has to do with the lighting properties in the room?

On 2017-02-26 by KATHY WARD

I do not have a leak in the kitchen ceiling but at night their is a dark line on the ceiling that you see only at night is this thermal tracking

On 2017-02-25 by (mod) - yellowish stains on one of my bedroom ceiling

More likely leak stains.

On 2017-02-24 by Terry

I have yellowish stains on one of my bedroom ceiling, It is not streak lines some are circular in different areas on the ceiling. Would this be Thermal tracking?

On 2016-12-22 by (mod) -

Trudy,

Naturally we can't know by e-text just what's in your air or on the carpeting. I'd like to see photos of the carpet as well as photos of the areas where the color has changed.

It certainly sounds as if something (it could be moisture, acidic moisture, or something else in the air) causing the symptom you describe.

Do you have neighbors who are on the same HVAC system and whose carpets are affected? That might be diagnostic.

You'll want to

- document the conditions

- hire an expert building inspector, home inspector, environmental test inspector or HVAC system expert to make a visual examination, if appropriate collect a few test samples of the HVAC air supply and the carpet surface, and thus report in writing on what they found, cause and cure.

Keep us posted; what you learn will help others.

On 2016-12-22 by trudy - pink carpet stains in Chicago condo

I live on the 34 th floor of my condo bldg in Chicago.

The carpet below the HVAC vents has turned the blue to pink. It is most noticeable on the top floors and decreases as you go down to the 29 th floor.

The carpet supplier has denied any problem with the materials of the carpet, which leads me to believe the air flow hitting the carpet only in front of the vents has something to do with the problem.

I am very concerned I am breathing in dangerous air.

Please advise me what to ask the condo board to do. Thank you

On 2016-11-27 by (mod) - Thermal bridges at metal studs

Thanks for the remark and question, Ron.

Indeed metal studs are more conductive than wood, mass for mass.

And I agree with your surmise that the woodstove was probably a source of extra doses of soot that combined with cooler areas of metal studs to promote the thermal tracking you observed.

It is possible that there are other factors at work - that we can't see without taking a peek into the ceiling cavity. For example poor insulation or a surprising volume and rate of air moving through the ceiling could be adding to the problems in this home.

Watch out: gaps around the door of a woodstove mean that the occupants do not have the normal woodstove control over draft. The result could be a runaway woodstove and a house fire. I would be sure to point this hazard out.

Research on thermal conductivity effects of metal wall studs includes these interesting articles - Thermal Bridges

• Sultan, Mohamed A. "A model for predicting heat transfer through noninsulated unloaded steel-stud gypsum board wall assemblies exposed to fire." Fire Technology 32, no. 3 (1996): 239-259.
• Gorgolewski, Mark. "Developing a simplified method of calculating U-values in light steel framing." Building and Environment 42, no. 1 (2007): 230-236.
• Barbour, C. Edward, and John Goodrow. The thermal performance of steel-framed walls. No. CONF-950624--. American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc., Atlanta, GA (United States), 1995.
  
  Thermal bridges are areas in constructions that have highly conductive materials, allowing higher heat transfer through less conductive areas. In a wall, thermal bridges can increase heat loss, cause dust to accumulate on the studs (ghosting) due to temperature distribution, and cause condensation to form in and on the walls.
  
  The effects of thermal bridges are often misunderstood by engineers, buildings, and manufacturers of construction products.
  
  This study attempts to provide a better understanding of the effects of thermal bridges in steel-framed walls, as well as information leading to improved methods of predicting R-value of walls containing thermal bridges. An improved method for estimating R-value would allow an equitable comparison of thermal performance with other construction types and materials.
  
  This would increase the number of alternative materials for walls available to designers, thus allowing them the freedom to correctly choose the optimum choice for construction. In order to arrive at an improved method, experimental data on the heat transfer characteristics of steel-framed walls were collected.
  
  Twenty-three wall samples were tested in a calibrated hot box (ASTM C976) to measure the thermal performance of steel-framed wall systems.
  
  The tests included an array of stud frame configurations, exterior sheathing, and fiberglass batt insulations. Other studies of thermal bridging in steel-framed walls have not included the use of insulating sheathing, which reduces the extent of the thermal bridges and improves total thermal performance.
  
  The purpose of the project was to provide measured R-values for commonly used steel-framed wall configurations and to improve R-value estimating methods. Also, detailed monitoring of temperature gradients in the test walls combined with numerical analysis provided new insights into heat transfer phenomena concerning thermal bridges.
  

On 2016-11-27 by Ron - ghosting along stud lines and at nail heads

Recently inspected a 2 story Colorado mountain home with exteme ghosting along stud lines and at nail heads in upper bedroom and hall walls. Using my thermal imager and upon further analysis It appeared that studs were metal and walls had minimal insulation.

Wood burning freestanding cast iron stove (located in mail level of home) had gaps in the door seal and gaps around flue connection with heavy soot build up on adjacent walls. ( Stove was used regularly to suppliment forced air propane heat system

My question...has anyone found instances where metal studs on an exterior wall act as an exteme heat sink attacting soot/dust/smoke.

On 2016-08-26 by Val B - 3 or 4 white spots with a wet or greasy-like looking area around them on my ceiling

I have 3 or 4 white spots with a wet or greasy-like looking area around them on my ceiling. I have an attic that I rarely go into. I don't think my roof is leaking because I believe the spots would be brownish in color. What could these spots be?

Question: thermal tracking on garage ceiling caused by car exhaust?

(Oct 2, 2014) Sam said:

Wow, what a great resource, thank you so much for all the info! Question: Garage ceiling has this tracking at all the drywall seams. I can see that the ceiling was insulated. Dark spots exactly correspond with the 12" joint compound finishing knife.

Could it be that the compound was simply not sealed properly when it was painted? Also, could exhaust from cars cause this-it's nowhere else in the house.

Thanks, I love this site!

Reply:

Sam

I don't think so. More likely the joints are over studs, pipes, or cooler surfaces that pick up a bit more moisture and thus particle deposits thus stains.

Yes car exhaust could be a particle source, also a moisture source. And if the car is burning oil and is left running for some time in the garage these effects would be increased.

Watch out: for potentially fatal carbon monoxide hazards if car exhaust can enter the home or accumulate in the garage.

Question: black graphite-like stains on vinyl and plastic windows, blinds, toys, bottles, all over our apartment

(June 20, 2016) Mike said:

We have black stains that look like graphite smeared. they appear only on vinyl and plastic, vinyl windows, window blinds, childrens plastic toys, plastic bottles of cleaner, etc. but all over the apartment? There is some on the thermal shadows that you picture here as well.

Could they be floating a dust around the apartment? It does not seem to be mold, it does not grow but only smears and stains and it only appears on plastic or vinyl. What could this stuff be, and is it dangerous?

Reply:

Could be dust on damp surfaces but finding those on toys suggests that you ought to look for an unusual soot source. Or look for something that adheres more noticeably on plastic surfaces but actually is elsewhere too.

A puffback at an oil burner or soot from a gas burner heating appliance are unsafe and need expert and prompt repair.

Question: soot material on plastic stuff in a test lab, breathing problems

(Aug 6, 2016) EHeid said:

Work in a testing lab with 5 home ovens on about 4 -5 hours a day. plastic forks knifes spoons plastic paper protectors, computer screen, plastic towel dispenser, plastic bags, baggies, plastic weight boats all have a black soot material on them. I am having breathing problems/issues.

What is this material? Where do I get this tested?

Reply:

EH
As you probably understand, we cannot know what comprises a black deposit by simply a text question.

You can certainly suspect that some soot or oxidized material is being produced by your test ovens but without a thoughtful investigation you still can't rule out other sources of dust and deposits. Check first that any gas fired heating equipment is working properly as soot from such appliances can risk fatal carbon monoxide poisoning.

Be sure that your facility has working and properly-installed CO and smoke detectors.

You can use the page top EXPERTS DIRECTORIES to find qualified expert investigators as well as testing laboratories, or you can simply search for ENVIRONMENTAL TEST LABS.

You should discuss your breathing concerns with your doctor and you might ask if the respiratory concerns are likely to have an environmental cause or aggravator, and if so, what sorts of causes ought to be included in any test plan for places where you spend the most time at home or work or both.

...

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

Or see THERMAL TRACKING GHOSTING FAQs-3 - more-recent questions & answers about thermphoresis, ghosting, thermal tracking stains, causes, cures.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• AIR MOVEMENT in BUILDINGS - When, where, how & why air moves in buildings
• THERMAL TRACKING BRIDGING GHOSTING - home
  • DEFINITION of THERMAL TRACKING
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  • AIR VELOCITY & MOVEMENT PATTERNS
  • COMPOSITION of DARK GHOSTING STAIN PARTICLES
  • GHOSTING STAIN INSPECTION
  • GHOSTING DARK STREAKS or LINES: CAUSES
  • GHOSTING DARK RECTANGULAR STAINS: CAUSES
  • GHOSTING DARK STAINS from AIR LEAKS
  • GHOSTING DARK STAINS on INSULATION, AIR BYPASS LEAKS
  • GHOSTING STAINS on WALLS
  • STAINS CANDLES FIREPLACE WOODSTOVE
  • STAINS DIAGNOSE IAQ PROBLEMS
  • STAINS INDICATE SAFETY CONCERNS
  • STAINS MISTAKEN for GHOSTING
  • THERMAL TRACKING REMEDIES

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