prag
join:2000-12-19
Santa Clara, CA
| What is this? Mold?
In my childs room and also in the bathroom, there are these re-appearing orange sticky stains that begin near the wall and reach out about 3-4 feet. I have cleaned it off before over the years with simple green or "orange-cleaner" but it keeps coming back. Is this mold or some type of fungus? What could be the cause and how do I stop it?
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Blue Skies ! |
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bobrk
You kids get offa my lawn
Premium
join:2000-02-02
San Jose, CA | Is there water in the attic above those rooms?
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bobrk |
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prag
join:2000-12-19
Santa Clara, CA
| That's a very good question.  Guess I'll have to make a trip up to the attic to verify. I just noticed now in looking at the big pictures, that a pattern is appearing - like it's following the rafters.
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Blue Skies ! |
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bobrk
You kids get offa my lawn
Premium
join:2000-02-02
San Jose, CA | I know because there is a lot of that type of thing going on in my kitchen/nook add on of my house.
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bobrk |
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prag
join:2000-12-19
Santa Clara, CA | And did you find the cause to be water in your attic? I wonder if my roof might be leaking?
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Blue Skies ! |
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bobrk
You kids get offa my lawn
Premium
join:2000-02-02
San Jose, CA | Yes, my roof was totally messed up, for many years before I bought the place.
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bobrk |
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prag
join:2000-12-19
Santa Clara, CA | The puzzling thing is that this roof is only 8-9 years old. Maybe I should contact my roofer and see if it's something they can fix.
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Blue Skies ! |
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shdesigns
Powered By Infinite Improbabilty Drive
Premium
join:2000-12-01
Stone Mountain, GA | reply to prag
The bathroom vent wouldn't be venting into the attic? Could cause condensation. |
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prag
join:2000-12-19
Santa Clara, CA
1 edit | Another good question. It's not supposed to, but I'll check that out too. But could a bathroom exhaust fan create that kind of moisture in the attic to create those spots on the ceiling?
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Blue Skies ! |
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prag
join:2000-12-19
Santa Clara, CA
1 edit | reply to prag
In trying to do some research on this, I can't seem to find any other pictures of "orange mold" on the Internet. Does anyone have any sources they can point me to? I'm about 99% certain that it's mold, but I can't find any other pictures like mine.
Something else that I was reading today was suggesting that maybe there's not enough insulation in the attic near this part of the house. And that when the cold air in the attic ceiling met the hot air in the house, it would create condensation and turn into mold. But again, I can't find anything that looks like this. I'll have my roofer look into this as well. We have been known to run a steam humidifier in this room to help the baby sleep when he was congested.
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Blue Skies ! |
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dgilbert
Good Bye My Friend
Premium,MVM
join:2002-06-15
none
clubs:
| looks like water/mildew stains to me. i know it follows some of teh rafters above, but tha tcould be because they are causing the ceiling to deflect more along them or causing a difference in temp allow water to condense there. i think it is due to your humidifier, as we get them in our room when we run one.
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Lack of Preparation on YOUR Part does NOT Constitute an Emergency on Mine! |
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nunya
SEE ROCK CITY 475 MILES
Premium,MVM
join:2000-12-23
O Fallon, MO
clubs:
 ·AT&T CallVantage
| reply to prag
I could send you pictures of my bathroom if you want to see more. Do a search through past threads about this. It's dirt / paint solids / smoke that have been collected by water forming on the surface. Do you run a humidifier in Juniors room? The bathroom moisture is self explanatory. Even with a 75 cfm fan in my small bathroom, they still appear if someone takes a long shower. |
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xrayman
join:2008-12-09
Kansas City, MO | reply to prag
I agree with dgilbert, looks like water/moister stains to me. Next thing you will see is the darker mold stain if you don't fix it. |
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Warzau
Premium
join:2000-10-26
Naperville, IL
clubs:
| reply to prag
I agree with nunya, given that that the paint look like gloss IF you have water coming from the attic it would bubble it.
I say its stains from what nunya said, does anyone smoke in the house, do you cook with out any exhaust, have a fire place? They collect on the surface and when there is enough humidity they stain the surface they are on. |
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newhomeown3r
@sbcglobal.net
| reply to prag
its nicotine (smoke )bleeding through a poor( no kilz) paint job. The steam is condensing picking up the particles. I bought a fixer upper from a lifelong smoker , the bathroom still looks exactly like your pics because I have not had time to redo the ceiling yet. I just wash it down (up ?) once a week . |
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LazMan
join:2003-03-26
Angus, ON
 ·TekSavvy Solutions..
| said by newhomeown3r :
its nicotine (smoke )bleeding through a poor( no kilz) paint job. The steam is condensing picking up the particles. I bought a fixer upper from a lifelong smoker , the bathroom still looks exactly like your pics because I have not had time to redo the ceiling yet. I just wash it down (up ?) once a week .
Seconded - A coat of good sealer (Kilz or Bin being two good choices) and a fresh coat of paint, should take care of it... |
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prag
join:2000-12-19
Santa Clara, CA
| Wow, you're right on the money - I think.
This house is about 50 years old. My grandparents used to live here and they smoked like chimneys up until about 10 years ago. There hasn't been a smoker in here since then, but there has been one paint job about 9 years ago after I moved in. I think you're right about the nasty orange sticky stuff being the nicotine collecting.
I feel a bit better knowing it's probably not mold (yet) or have water damage in the attic - but I'm still going to either myself or have my roofer go take a look in the attic today. Maybe spread some more insulation up there if there are bare spots near the exterior walls.
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Blue Skies ! |
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VegasMan
Are We There Yet?
join:2002-11-17
Schaumburg, IL
·AT&T Midwest
| reply to newhomeown3r
said by newhomeown3r :
its nicotine (smoke )bleeding through a poor( no kilz) paint job. The steam is condensing picking up the particles. I bought a fixer upper from a lifelong smoker , the bathroom still looks exactly like your pics because I have not had time to redo the ceiling yet. I just wash it down (up ?) once a week .
X2
We had a smoker in our place before us and it took almost 2 years of cleaning the ceiling before it went away. I used a diluted bleach spray.
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In need of a Vegas vacation.
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sailor
Merry Whatever ..R.I.P. dadkins
Premium
join:2003-10-21
Long Island
| reply to newhomeown3r
said by newhomeown3r :
its nicotine (smoke )bleeding through a poor( no kilz) paint job. The steam is condensing picking up the particles. I bought a fixer upper from a lifelong smoker , the bathroom still looks exactly like your pics because I have not had time to redo the ceiling yet. I just wash it down (up ?) once a week .
Amazing...can just imagine what the lining of the lungs must look like.  |
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Toadman
How do you like these Apples
join:2001-11-28
Medina, OH
| reply to prag
said by prag  :Maybe spread some more insulation up there if there are bare spots near the exterior walls. Be very careful when you add insulation, especially in the gap area where the roof meets the exterior wall. Most roofs leave a gap there for the eave vents. If you don't, you will add too much heat to your roof and then next thing you will be asking us why your shingles are curling. |
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