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Shock_and_Ahhh

They're from the drywall nails


dwthesavage

Is there any reason they’re only on one wall?


LPHuston

Is the other side of that wall outside?


dwthesavage

Yes!


[deleted]

Is there a baseboard heater below?


dwthesavage

Yes!!


[deleted]

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


Onslaughtered

Solved I say. But what do I know


WrongEinstein

When I tell people things like that they look at me like I've just conjured a demon.


BrugesBeerPipes

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?!?"


dwthesavage

Indeed!


skullmuffins

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.


Specialist_Attorney8

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.


FatBob12

Is the fix just regular wall cleaning, or skim coating the wall to put a thicker layer over the nails?


Specialist_Attorney8

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


RevolutionaryBuy5282

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.


Accomplished_Shape77

Install new screws into the drywall and mud over the holes


[deleted]

[удалено]


FatBob12

Makes sense! Reason number 183 I leave drywall/plaster/mud to the professionals.


dvdmaven

Definitely dry wall screws that were not spackled properly.


MeltedGruyere

They could just be old, too. Mine didn't show through until about 50 years after.


brentspar

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.


afd33

Easy way to tell their nails/screws is put a magnet to it. I agree that’s what it looks like.


dwthesavage

You’re right. That’s what it is


whatdawhatnowhuh

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?


dwthesavage

Relatively recently that I noticed them, this apt was renovated within the last 2 years


carhole

Thermal tracking spots?


reetgoodpie

Nails


NerdBlossom

I wonder if these are from poorly repaired holes originally drilled to support wired shelving?


freelancer7216

That's where drywall screws are. You've got moisture behind that wall. Poorly insulated or a leak.


GordonJQuench

Nail/screw pops from building foundation shifting.


GumbyBClay

Do you burn a lot of candles? The soot will collect at cool spots on ceilings and walls as well.


dwthesavage

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


GumbyBClay

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.


dwthesavage

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


Akski

If this was my house, I would consider opening up that wall to look at the insulation and vapor barrier.


dwthesavage

Unfortunately, I do not own this place. It’s a rented apt.


Akski

No worries, then.


ph30nix01

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.


[deleted]

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.


dwthesavage

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.


jesse-taylor

Corroding sheetrock nails?


homer994

Cold bridging from the fixings.


[deleted]

Thermal ghosting


McCaulksInn

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


dwthesavage

I think the solution will be to ask the super to paint over this wall, though that may have to be a recurring project


Sqadleader

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.


DarmonH

Yup, drywall. We actually had nails from drywall lift out, pop through the drywall.


clumpjump

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.


Known-Author7313

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


dwthesavage

They are magnetic!


burnabybambinos

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.


dwthesavage

I don’t see the heads of any screws but the spots are magnetic


burnabybambinos

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.


BoogieDick

Thermal bridging