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What is this on the ceiling?

1K views 9 replies 5 participants last post by  balperi 
#1 ·
Can anyone identify WHAT is on the ceiling of my back bedroom? I don't know that it is mold or mildew, although perhaps? It's like someone has somehow spilled / splattered coffee, or such, on the ceiling ... but I see no way that could have happened. It wipes off easily with a Clorox cleaning wipe.

I don't see anything similar on the ceiling of any of the other rooms on the same floor (top floor) - just in this one spot of this one room.
 

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#3 ·
That's as good a guess as any, and perhaps someone did open a cola and it sprayed on the ceiling. Even that would be odd ... as the ceiling was painted a year ago, and the room has been unoccupied since then, but it's certainly still possible that someone wandered in there and opened a can of Pepsi. I can't think of what else it could be.
 
#4 ·
No location in your profile so where going to have to make some guesses.
Been in the attic to check for leaks?
Looked for staining on the sheathing inside the attic on the roof?
Old ice dams, causing leaks?
Pulled the insulation back to check for staining on the back side of the sheet rock?
 
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#6 ·
Sorry for lack of details: We are in Peterborough, Ontario. Summers can be very hot and humid, as has been the case for the past few weeks, in particular. Some days it is very much like a sauna! While the temp highs (30 - 35C / 86 - 95F) isn't so extreme - particularly to those living in certain climes further south - it is the high humidity here that makes many days quite uncomfortable.

Indeed as regards the attic: There is insufficient insulation and it is improperly placed. This is something that we are in the process of hiring a contractor to deal with. A building contractor - who would not be doing that specific work - has told us that (a) the insulation (blown in) is R12 "at best" when according to relevant building codes it should be R40 or R50; the insulation was also blown in all around the outer edge of the attic so it is blocking all of the ventilation holes in the soffit. There is additional insufficient ventilation in the attic as well, so the temperature and humidity is extreme and, I'm told, is the cause of the upper floor of the house always being hot regardless of long the central air runs (the downstairs can be like a refrigerator, but the upstairs remains hot).

From the sounds of it, when I get a suitable insulation contractor I probably need to get him to remove some to check underneath what little is there to see if there is sweating / mold or other problems?
 
#7 ·
As far as I know there was nothing wrong with the ceiling when it was painted. It would have originally been - I assume - plaster, as it was built 50 years ago. It is drywall now, so at some point it was replaced (unless it could be 50 year old drywall?). It looks to be in very good structural condition, to me. It was new paint that we bought (Behr from Home Depot). I doubt that he will remember, but I will contact the person who did the painting for me and ask him if he recalls there being any issue with the ceiling (e.g., sign of mold / discolouration / etc.) that he painted over and I wasn't aware of.
 
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