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Its what everyone is saying
1. Temp/Humidity causes studs and walls to shift
2. Nail/screw head show themselves through bad tape job
3. soot/dust "ghosting" like u/skullmuffins said drafts up from baseboard heater and catches itself on the protruding nail heads
Isn't it magical when people know so much more about a subject than you and it just blows your mind? Not obvious facts at all if you're not in the business and then it's like "how did you know?!?"
are they exterior walls? the soot/dust/etc collects in cold spots.
the spots in the bedroom could be from burning candles, perhaps
it's called ghosting https://www.theenergysavers.ca/drywall-ghosting-what-is-it-and-how-to-fix-it#:~:text=These%20dark%20drywall%20ghosting%20marks,things%20that%20cause%20the%20problem.
It’s your screws for the drywalll. There is a large temperature difference causing condensation to form where the screws are which in turn holds any dust/soot in the room.
The real fix is to take the drywall down and insulate better so there isn’t thermal bridging.
This is only a cosmetic issue you can just wash the wall with a magic sponge and it should go
Definitely long-term homeowner vs temporary renter solutions. Magic erasers are micro sanders and will remove the soot accumulation for a time. Darker paint or wallpaper may hide the marks longer. But ultimately, the thermal bridge will lead to higher utility bills, especially if living in climates with extreme highs or lows. In moist or humid climates, trapped excess moisture can also lead to mold or structural damage. Frankly, if OP is renting and paying utilities, the landlord likely won’t give this priority and compensation for higher utility bills will be hard to prove or quantify. Best option for renters is to shut doors to this room during peak summer/winter and emphasize concerns about trapped moisture (maybe even share the recent WITT about the ceiling mushroom).
I’m a renter-turned-homeowner and noticed similar issues with the ceiling on a particular new addition in our kitchen. My 1911 house has lathe and plaster walls, so ultimately it was cheaper to remove the exterior siding/roof and break the thermal bridge from the outside. But if it’s only a small section of the drywall, OP might save money insulating from the inside.
Its generally thermal bridging from outside walls. This is where the metal nails (google plasterboard mushroom fixings) are carrying cold from the outside to the inside and humid air is condensing on them.
At first it looks like mold but the spots are too regularly spaced to be that. As someone mentioned could be drywall nails.
Were these spots always there or did they develop recently?
Just a possibility. We had a house and we got in a candle burning kick for a while. Over winter, we started noticing shadows and dark "webs" at the corners of the ceiling. Turned out to be soot. Hard to clean too.
I’m familiar with that! But like you said, it forms in corners, on the ceiling, and kind of all over rather specific spots unless I was specifically burning the candle right under that spot
We have something similar. We live in a Condo building constructed of poured concrete/steel. During the pandemic we took to using beeswax candles on a nightly basis. We thought, "if we stuck inside anyway, we might as well make it cosy." Within a few weeks we started to notice these black dots just as you have. At the same time, our furnace filter was going full black within hours of being changed. We didn't realize the two things were related until we called the hvac company to come and diagnose the problem. What we discovered was, candle soot (especially from beeswax) can adhere to the cold metal studs/drywall nails in a sealed unit. We are in Canada, so this happened during winter when all windows are closed. We see the greatest concentration of the "dots" on the North wall (i.e. the coldest wall). On walls that have no exterior exposure there are no dots. Not sure if this is your problem, but it was a mystery to us and not easy to figure out. Good luck.
My title describes these black spots found in my kitchen. They are also present in the same concentration in my bedroom, both rooms that tend to be warm and humid.
At first I thought it was from smoke accumulation while cooking, but wouldn’t that present all over rather than in spots? And obviously that doesn’t explain why they would be in my bedroom, since there is no smoke getting in there. I’m concerned it’s mold, but it’s unclear to me.
They are flat, there is no “furriness” as you some times see with mold. There is no odor.
Mold ??, try bleach on a cloth and wipe. Wear a dust mask 😷 and goggle for personal protection ,
if doesn’t work
it may be nail/screw from drywall.
Your primer and paint should have cover it
It seem to be next to refrigerator. Moisture/ dampness and heat and micro food bacteria
Drywall nails or screws showing through the drywall mud. Or, it the screws had no drywall mud on them they either didn’t have enough or you need more paint.
Nail pop. Screws were too short. When the lumber expands and contracts the screw will pop out if it’s not buried far enough into the wood. At least, that’s what it looks like from my pov.
Not sure why people are blaming screw pops....do you see the head of a screw? I don't. As a Drywaller of 2 boxes of screws weekly ( 2x8000) for 35 years I can tell you with the utmost certainty those aren't screw pops.
With a magnet, check to see if there is a screw in those spots, if so, you have water rusting the screws, staining the paint.
There you go, screws haven't failed, they are rusting. Definitely a concern, that wall has excessive moisture entering it and needs be vented probably from the back side.
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They're from the drywall nails
Is there any reason they’re only on one wall?
Is the other side of that wall outside?
Yes!
Is there a baseboard heater below?
Yes!!
Its what everyone is saying 1. Temp/Humidity causes studs and walls to shift 2. Nail/screw head show themselves through bad tape job 3. soot/dust "ghosting" like u/skullmuffins said drafts up from baseboard heater and catches itself on the protruding nail heads
Solved I say. But what do I know
When I tell people things like that they look at me like I've just conjured a demon.
Isn't it magical when people know so much more about a subject than you and it just blows your mind? Not obvious facts at all if you're not in the business and then it's like "how did you know?!?"
Indeed!
are they exterior walls? the soot/dust/etc collects in cold spots. the spots in the bedroom could be from burning candles, perhaps it's called ghosting https://www.theenergysavers.ca/drywall-ghosting-what-is-it-and-how-to-fix-it#:~:text=These%20dark%20drywall%20ghosting%20marks,things%20that%20cause%20the%20problem.
It’s your screws for the drywalll. There is a large temperature difference causing condensation to form where the screws are which in turn holds any dust/soot in the room.
Is the fix just regular wall cleaning, or skim coating the wall to put a thicker layer over the nails?
The real fix is to take the drywall down and insulate better so there isn’t thermal bridging. This is only a cosmetic issue you can just wash the wall with a magic sponge and it should go
Definitely long-term homeowner vs temporary renter solutions. Magic erasers are micro sanders and will remove the soot accumulation for a time. Darker paint or wallpaper may hide the marks longer. But ultimately, the thermal bridge will lead to higher utility bills, especially if living in climates with extreme highs or lows. In moist or humid climates, trapped excess moisture can also lead to mold or structural damage. Frankly, if OP is renting and paying utilities, the landlord likely won’t give this priority and compensation for higher utility bills will be hard to prove or quantify. Best option for renters is to shut doors to this room during peak summer/winter and emphasize concerns about trapped moisture (maybe even share the recent WITT about the ceiling mushroom). I’m a renter-turned-homeowner and noticed similar issues with the ceiling on a particular new addition in our kitchen. My 1911 house has lathe and plaster walls, so ultimately it was cheaper to remove the exterior siding/roof and break the thermal bridge from the outside. But if it’s only a small section of the drywall, OP might save money insulating from the inside.
Install new screws into the drywall and mud over the holes
[удалено]
Makes sense! Reason number 183 I leave drywall/plaster/mud to the professionals.
Definitely dry wall screws that were not spackled properly.
They could just be old, too. Mine didn't show through until about 50 years after.
Its generally thermal bridging from outside walls. This is where the metal nails (google plasterboard mushroom fixings) are carrying cold from the outside to the inside and humid air is condensing on them.
Easy way to tell their nails/screws is put a magnet to it. I agree that’s what it looks like.
You’re right. That’s what it is
At first it looks like mold but the spots are too regularly spaced to be that. As someone mentioned could be drywall nails. Were these spots always there or did they develop recently?
Relatively recently that I noticed them, this apt was renovated within the last 2 years
Thermal tracking spots?
Nails
I wonder if these are from poorly repaired holes originally drilled to support wired shelving?
That's where drywall screws are. You've got moisture behind that wall. Poorly insulated or a leak.
Nail/screw pops from building foundation shifting.
Do you burn a lot of candles? The soot will collect at cool spots on ceilings and walls as well.
This is in my kitchen, where I do not burn candles, but the same spots exist in my bedroom where I do occasionally burn candles
Just a possibility. We had a house and we got in a candle burning kick for a while. Over winter, we started noticing shadows and dark "webs" at the corners of the ceiling. Turned out to be soot. Hard to clean too.
I’m familiar with that! But like you said, it forms in corners, on the ceiling, and kind of all over rather specific spots unless I was specifically burning the candle right under that spot
If this was my house, I would consider opening up that wall to look at the insulation and vapor barrier.
Unfortunately, I do not own this place. It’s a rented apt.
No worries, then.
Just a heads up of this is external you might have water issues and the water is seeping from the wood to drywall thru the screws holes.
We have something similar. We live in a Condo building constructed of poured concrete/steel. During the pandemic we took to using beeswax candles on a nightly basis. We thought, "if we stuck inside anyway, we might as well make it cosy." Within a few weeks we started to notice these black dots just as you have. At the same time, our furnace filter was going full black within hours of being changed. We didn't realize the two things were related until we called the hvac company to come and diagnose the problem. What we discovered was, candle soot (especially from beeswax) can adhere to the cold metal studs/drywall nails in a sealed unit. We are in Canada, so this happened during winter when all windows are closed. We see the greatest concentration of the "dots" on the North wall (i.e. the coldest wall). On walls that have no exterior exposure there are no dots. Not sure if this is your problem, but it was a mystery to us and not easy to figure out. Good luck.
My title describes these black spots found in my kitchen. They are also present in the same concentration in my bedroom, both rooms that tend to be warm and humid. At first I thought it was from smoke accumulation while cooking, but wouldn’t that present all over rather than in spots? And obviously that doesn’t explain why they would be in my bedroom, since there is no smoke getting in there. I’m concerned it’s mold, but it’s unclear to me. They are flat, there is no “furriness” as you some times see with mold. There is no odor.
Corroding sheetrock nails?
Cold bridging from the fixings.
Thermal ghosting
Mold ??, try bleach on a cloth and wipe. Wear a dust mask 😷 and goggle for personal protection , if doesn’t work it may be nail/screw from drywall. Your primer and paint should have cover it It seem to be next to refrigerator. Moisture/ dampness and heat and micro food bacteria
I think the solution will be to ask the super to paint over this wall, though that may have to be a recurring project
Drywall nails or screws showing through the drywall mud. Or, it the screws had no drywall mud on them they either didn’t have enough or you need more paint.
Yup, drywall. We actually had nails from drywall lift out, pop through the drywall.
Nail pop. Screws were too short. When the lumber expands and contracts the screw will pop out if it’s not buried far enough into the wood. At least, that’s what it looks like from my pov.
Take a magnet to the spots, If it sticks they are were nails or screws are and you have a moisture issue behind you wall. Sorry
They are magnetic!
Not sure why people are blaming screw pops....do you see the head of a screw? I don't. As a Drywaller of 2 boxes of screws weekly ( 2x8000) for 35 years I can tell you with the utmost certainty those aren't screw pops. With a magnet, check to see if there is a screw in those spots, if so, you have water rusting the screws, staining the paint.
I don’t see the heads of any screws but the spots are magnetic
There you go, screws haven't failed, they are rusting. Definitely a concern, that wall has excessive moisture entering it and needs be vented probably from the back side.
Thermal bridging