Questions & answers about th cause & cure of Indoor stains in buildings traced to black or dark thermal tracking or ghosting lines:

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.

Thermal Tracking Ghosting Stain FAQs-3

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.

[Click to enlarge any image]

On 2019-12-27 by (mod) - outdoor dust deposits, ghosting, thermal tracking, Vancouver Island BC

Cathie

I agree that your photo shows a type of exterior wall "ghosting" though the mechanism and staining particles are a bit different from those on walls and ceilings in the building interior.

I think that we are seeing an exterior wall that either lacks insulation or has air currents running in the wall cavity, causing a difference in temperature between the upper and lower wall surfaces.

Where we have a cooler surface and condensation of moisture onto the surface from exterior air, we expect to see greater adhesion of dust particles, thus causing the "staining".

The particles forming the stain will be whatever's in the air: vehicle exhaust, diesel, road dust, with deposition perhaps exacerbated by the higher humidity around Vancouver Island.

Of course there could be some other mechanism at work but that's my theory at this point.

On 2019-12-27 by Cathie

I have seen much reference to interior ghosting. What might be the cause or condition for black staining on third floor, all compass directions, exterior walls between studs? Photo attached...Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada...thanks!

On 2019-06-21 by (mod) -

Charlie,

SInce the underlying cause of thermal tracking is the COMBINATION of an indoor dust or soot source - including normal housedust - PLUS often high indoor moisture - it's possible that the thermal tracking in your apartment or home is absolutely normal.

If you're a smoker, OR if there was an oil fired heating boiler not working properly, OR dusty pets (like big dogs), or another source of high indoor dust levels, that can speed up the appearance of thermal tracking marks.

You're welcome to print out this and any article you find at InspectApedia.com - that may help you out. Our articles cite authoritative references whenever possible.

Also see or cite

• Grau-Bové, Josep, and Matija Strlič. "Fine particulate matter in indoor cultural heritage: a literature review." Heritage Science 1, no. 1 (2013): 8.
  Abstract:
  
  Fine particulate matter is, on account of its aerodynamic properties and typical composition (especially diesel particulate matter and carbonaceous particles) the particulate pollutant potentially most harmful to cultural heritage, representing an aesthetic issue and an agent of chemical degradation simultaneously.
  
  This paper reviews the current knowledge of the life-cycle of fine particulates, focussing on diesel particulate matter from emission to deposition, including its aesthetic and chemical consequences, and draws attention to some imbalances in the current state of research.
  
  The currently available measurements are biased towards coarse dust, and information on the consequences of particle deposition is largely restricted to the outdoor environment. More evidence on the chemical effects of the most common types of fine particulate matter in typical indoor materials is needed to enable risk assessment for indoor collections.
• Fittschen, Ursula EA, Manfred Santen, Andreas Rehmers, Ilknur Durukan, and Martin Wesselmann. "Indoor aerosol determination with respect to a soiling phenomenon in private residences." Environmental science & technology 47, no. 1 (2012): 608-615.
  Abstract:
  
  Indoor aerosol exposure has become of major interest since health hazards arising from fine and ultrafine dust particles have become more evident. The study presented here is dedicated to fine and ultrafine dust characterization and determination in more than 150 private residences with special respect to a phenomenon of enhanced soiling.
  
  In the scientific community committed to ecological housing and building it is referred to as “black magic dust” though the staining is often film-like in nature.
  
  This phenomenon has been observed for 20 years in residences in Europe and North America and there is strong evidence that it is correlated to emission of semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) from refurbishing materials. In this study we show that fine dust particle concentrations are elevated in such homes and that there is characteristic particle morphology for “black magic dust” staining.
  
  From the results we suggest that elevated particle concentration and particle size are significant to induce a condensation process which causes the observed blackening. Reduced air exchanges due to new insulation standards may also contribute to its occurrence.
  
  

On 2019-06-20 by Charlie

Hi all, my ex-landlord is taking me to court over thermal tracking marks which appeared during my tenancy. He's claiming £5,000 for "fungicidal treatment and re-paint" not believing us that it's not mildew but thermal tracking dust marks. I'm going to court in a few weeks but somehow need to prove this to the judge. Any advice??? Are the any official organisation that recognise thermal tracking and have documentation about it that I could present? Thanks in advance! Charlie

On 2019-04-24 by (mod) -

Anon asked:

Hi, in my kitchen above Evey plug socket and switch there is a dark line in the paint going right up to the ceiling.

Please can you tell me why?

Moderator reply:

Please see your question and our reply where you also posted it at

https://inspectapedia.com/interiors/Thermal_Tracking_Lines.php#FAQ

On 2018-04-06 by (mod) -

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 2019-02-12 by (mod) - 6 Steps to deal with ghosting stains on an enclosed ceiling or wall

Judith

Thank you for a helpful question:

Just how far we need to go to stop thermal tracking or ghosting depends on the results of a bit of investigation. If there are no leaks and no concern for hidden mold we jump to the last step in this advice.

I would follow these steps.

What to do about reducing thermal tracking on a surface of an inaccessible space such as a cathedral ceiling, dormer, or wall.

1. Step 1: Inspect the ghosting spots or lines
   
   very carefully for even the slightest sharp edge or dribble/run lines that would indicate actual water leakage or perhaps the accumulation of a significant amount of condensation.
2. Step 2: Investigate further IF:
   
   If an indication of actual water stains is found then it is justified to cut a small inspection opening, say 2x4" to permit inspection of the back surface of the wall material (e.g. drywall) for mold contamination, and to inspect the interior cavity for moisture, leaks, wet insulation, mold on wood sheathing or framing.
3. Step 3-a: If any of actual water or moisture problems are found,
   
   simply cleaning and painting and further insulation would be a mistake as you're covering up a problem that's going to cause you to ultimately return, remove, clean, and rebuild that area as well as to investigate and fix the leak source: leaks from outside, leaks from inside, or air leaks into the cavity).
   
   Step 3-b. If no actual wet conditions were found
   
   nor signs of those problems are present hen you'd repair the cutout opening - I make mine near a joist or stud to make it easier to tack back the cut-out rectangle but there are easy methods to re-insert, and tape a cutout even in the middle of an area of unsupported drywall (I can explain that procedure if anybody needs it).
4. Step 4: Can We Add Insulation
   
   to an Existing Building Cavity ?
   
   IF the space is one that is not designed to be ventilated, such as a wall cavity or an un-vented hot roof design cathedral ceiling,
   AND
   IF the space is not well-insulated,
   
   THEN you might improve the insulation using spray foam,
   
   OR
   IF you had to demolish the area because it was wet and/or moldy,
   
   THEN you'd re-insulate with fiberglass if you prefer.
   
   It can be cost-prohibitive as well as probably impossible to get a spray foam insulation contractor to come to your home to insulate a small area such as a dormer roof - the job is so small as to be a money loser, and they won't want to do it. So you're probably on your on and will have to use DIY insulation methods (such as small cans of spray foam applied as an amateur).
   
   If you use a closed-cell spray foam and apply it uniformly and carefully (that can mean drilling multiple insertion openings and foaming them in series) you eliminate a concern for moist air leaks into the building cavity.
   
   Keep in mind that most air leakage occurs around penetrations such as for ceiling lights, wall receptacles, light switches, NOT through the drywall or plaster itself, so pay particular attention to those points.
5. Step 5: Clean, seal, re-paint:
   
   Once the ghosting area has been investigated, cleaned and repaired if needed, and insulated, you can finish cleaning the surface,
   
   then paint with a lacquer primer-sealer (to prevent bleed-through of any remaining stain material), then paint with your choice of finish paint.
6. Step 6: Find & Fix dust sources:
   
   If your building had significant thermal tracking stains, as you'll read in the article series starting
   
   at THERMAL TRACKING BRIDGING GHOSTING - home
   
   you also need to investigate for sources of abnormal indoor dust or soot such as a gas fired heater that's sooting up, poorly-vented wood fireplace or woodstove, smokers, or someone like my dog Katie who could bring an amazing volume of dirt indoors every day.
   
   Watch out: some soot sources such as improperly-functioning gas heaters can produce fatal carbon monoxide - occupants could die.

See THERMAL TRACKING REMEDIES for a fully- detailed description of how to remove and prevent ghosting stains.

On 2019-02-12 by Judith

My house has a few ghosting spots.

The worst point is a dormer window where the steep sloping ceiling comes into the bedroom.

I cannot find any way of getting into this space from the attic to further insulate it. As you say,painting is not the answer. Could you help please?

On 2019-02-08 by (mod) - what to do about water stains on ceiling after roof leak

Julie

I would not spend on painting a stained ceiling that has been previously soaked by roof leakage before further investigation - making a few strategic test cuts in the most-stained areas.

If there is a mold colony on the upper side of the ceiling drywall the ceiling should be replaced.

On 2019-02-08 by Julie

We recently had our roof replaced and the contractor was not able to finish the job before the temps dropped and rain moved thru.

This took place in December in Iowa. One half of our roof had just sheeting when it rained and we had water coming in our great room through eyeball lights above our fireplace.

We notice several water stains on the ceiling and in my daughters room.

Once we took down holiday decorations, we notice dark parallel lines and nail pops on the exterior walls (in the area that was not shingled) Will painting this area resolve the dark lines or are there other steps that we should take? The area that was shingled has shown no signs of nail pops are dark lines.

On 2019-01-17 by (mod) - check the cause of ghosting before just cleaning and painting over those stains

No worries, Karen, it's a limitation of Clark Van Oyen's comment box code that we use - it only permits one photo per comment; but of course one can post multiple comments, one photo each.

Before painting, I would clean the surface, look for unsafe soot sources like a bad gas burner, look for missing insulation, drafts, and the other causes discussed

at THERMAL TRACKING BRIDGING GHOSTING

On 2019-01-16 by Karen D - thermal tracking stains blamed on smokers

Hello, I tried to submit a question before but could only attach one picture and don't think I chose the one that shows the problem the most.

Here is the picture of the one room. We bought the house in July 2018 and it had this and we had no idea what it was ultimately chalked it up to maybe he misused the fireplace or from being smokers.

I tried to clean as best I could and painters primed and painted over it. I fear I am seeing it come back through, never know if it is shadowing or what but a little nervous. After finding this info I know how that if it is thermal tracking it's just a matter of time for it to come back since the problem was not fixed.

The house was built in 1990, a two story home with a vaulted living room ceiling.

The picture I am attaching is an office that is right off the front door, somewhat of a high ceiling but not as high as living room. This office and the living room had the most black on the walls.

We also had black around the edges of the carpet, not sure if that is relevant.

Trying to figure out what to do to fix. We do not have gutters so hubby thinks that is a great place to start in terms of moisture but if that has nothing to do with this issue I don't want to spend time and money if it's not the right fix. So afraid of it coming back and it cost a small fortune to have the walls painted so I want to get this fixed.

Any suggestions, thoughts, remedies are greatly appreciated!

On 2018-06-12 1 by (mod) - Is this thermal tracking outdoors on my Lanai Ceiling? Use mold-resistant paint.

Treating the wood ceiling material such a plan to use with anything that makes them more moisture resistant will help reduce moisture uptake, staining, and mold.

In areas of high humidity like Florida that makes good sense - treat at least the exposed surface and for better bullet-proofing treat all surfaces before you put the ceiling back up.

I would consider adding a fungicide to the paint or using a "mold resistant" paint.

On 2018-06-11 by Dave T

Is this thermal tracking? It’s an lanai (porch) ceiling, I live in Florida.

Anyway after a few years of dealing with this I took the Sheetrock down and plan to put up tongue and groove 3/4 X 5 Tiger Wood in a pattern.

Plan on putting up 1/2” plywood.

My guestion is do I treat the plywood with water seal

Or leave it natural?

Or treat top only,or bottom only?

On 2018-05-07 by (mod) - brown stains in thermal ghosting pattern often from smokers or ...

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.

I notice that it looks as if the floor was re-finished. If that's true I suspect sanding dust deposited in a ghosting pattern - it'd help to know the country, city, climate, and of course renovation and leak history of the building.

If thje floor is a laminate floor and was not re-finished (I can't tell from your photo) I"m back to guessing the space was occupied by a heavy smoker.

On 2018-05-07 by Briana35

Can anyone tell me what is going on with this wall - brown stains in photo shown above.

...

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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 these

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  • THERMAL TRACKING REMEDIES

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THERMAL TRACKING GHOSTING FAQs-3 at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

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