What Does Ghosting On Walls Mean In Building?
What Does Ghosting On Walls Mean In Building?
Ghosting on walls and ceilings is the buildup of dust, dirt, soot, and other debris that can create strange patterns along exterior walls and black spots on ceilings. It is also known as “ghost stains”, “bridging” or “thermal tracking”.
Ghosting is caused by air passing through the building envelope, lack of insulation in the walls or ceilings, and high humidity levels inside the home.
To prevent ghosting, homeowners should vent clothes dryers outdoors, add insulation in the walls or ceilings where ghosting stains appear, and keep relative humidity levels below 55%.
What Does Ghosting Mean In Painting?
Ghosting in painting refers to streaks and stains along walls and ceilings caused by dust and debris adhering to the paint. It is also known as “soot staining” or “thermal tracking”. Ghosting can be mistaken for mold, an issue with the paint, or other major issues.
Ghosting occurs due to air passing through the building envelope, unvented cook stoves, and other causes. It is important to identify the cause of ghosting in order to properly remedy it.
Ghost striping is a technique used in painting where stripes of the same color are made with a slightly different hue or sheen. This can be achieved by using a different topcoat or lightening or darkening the finish paint. Ghost striping does not cause ghosting on walls.
How To Detect Ghosting On Walls?
Ghosting on walls and ceilings can be detected by looking for strange patterns along exterior walls and black spots on ceilings.
To prevent ghosting, it is important to keep the indoor relative humidity below 55% in the winter and to vent out moist warm air and replace it with dry air.
If ghosting has already occurred, it can be cleaned by correcting the problem that caused it and then painting the area.
What Causes Ghosting On Walls?
Ghosting on walls and ceilings is caused by a combination of moisture, condensation, cold spots, static electricity, air currents, and a good supply of dust, soot, and other particles drifting in the air.
It is often seen in homes with smokers due to the dark outlines that remain on walls when pictures or paintings are removed after some time. Ghosting can also occur in non-smoking environments but is usually still caused by the actions of the inhabitants.
The root causes of ghosting include high indoor humidity, air gaps in the envelope leading to cold spots, and burning candles or incense inside the home. These components are naturally poor insulators which lead to the formation of corresponding cold spots in the wall.
The warm interior air then condenses on these colder sections of walls and ceilings resulting in ghosting.
To prevent ghosting from occurring it is important to eliminate indoor air particles such as burning candles or incense, vent clothes dryers outdoors, and add insulation in walls or ceilings where necessary.
How To Prevent Ghosting On Walls?
Ghosting on walls and ceilings is caused by air-borne dust, dirt, soot particles, and more that stick to the colder sections of walls and ceilings due to thermal bridging or gaps in insulation.
To prevent ghosting, it is important to eliminate indoor air particles such as burning candles, firewood, or incense.
Additionally, improving attic insulation and ensuring that the insulation covers the ceiling can help reduce ghosting.
It is also important to use exhaust fans in bathrooms and kitchens when cooking or drying clothes on indoor racks, as well as frequently replacing furnace filters and keeping relative humidity levels below 55%.
Ghosting should not be confused with mold growth, which typically causes green lines on walls rather than black stains.
