Pellet stove causing soot marks on ceiling???

[Utilitrack]

Hi all-

My wife decides that she wants to paint the living room, so she wants the ceiling painted, so we start looking at it it and there seems to be "sooty" marks near the walls in the living room on the opposite wall from the stove in the dining room, the rooms are open to each other, stove is about 28' away from this exterior wall. Is there a connection?

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Likely since you open up the stove to clean it, etc ...

Then again if you have your house opened up for ventilation in the summer crud from the cars and trucks also comes in.

Likely it is some of both.

Remember the stove is a forced hot air heating system and it will suck in, run through the heat exchanger, and blow out all of the air in your house many times a day.

 

[PA_Clinker]

Doesn't seem like a probable cause being that far away from your stove. Since the staining is next to an outside wall, are there gutters present? Maybe it's from ice dams forming over the years? I'd have to say no to the stove as a possible culprit.

 

[smwilliamson]

Perhaps they are related. If is coming from the stove it is the venting. Nothing leaks out of a negative pressure environment. I would consider your vacuum and the venting first. Make sure your vac is HEPA. Over fill the burnpot at start up and see if the venting is leaking. Try to keep the door closed too when its running. That can allow smoke in the house. Also, check your air filter on the cold air return of your furnace as well as the grate for the cold air duct(if you have forced hot air). Im willing to bet the soot you are speaking about is on the south side of you house and is being drawn there as the house warms from the sun during the day. It collects in the corners and along joists or strapping via static electricity. Running a humidifier can help it from reoccuring.

 

[heat seeker]

Doesn't seem like a probable cause being that far away from your stove. Since the staining is next to an outside wall, are there gutters present? Maybe it's from ice dams forming over the years? I'd have to say no to the stove as a possible culprit.

My thoughts, too. It might not be soot, but mold from condensation on the ceiling, or a leak from above.

 

[save$]

I have that but only on exterior walls and the first few inches of the ceilings. It happened long before the stove came to our home.
We notice it on walls that were last painted many years ago. We figured it was over 15 years when we last painted some of those rooms. I think it is a hot/cold issue. (no smoking ever in this house) We had the house sealed and added more insulation. Will be watching to see if that helps.

 

[Wachusett]

I believe this condition is often referred to as ghosting. When a wood surface (wall or ceiling) is colder than adjacent wall or ceiling areas
minor amounts of condensation occur on these spots. Minor enough that you can't see it, these areas of condensation allow dust to stick the surface.
This condition is most noticed on ceiling rafters in a cape ceiling. I would suspect there is an area of poor insulation or draft occuring
in the cavity behind the drywall causing this shadow effect.

 

[smwilliamson]

When the exterior sides of a house heat up from the sun, the air in the house is drawn through the construction. With it, is airborne particles....and they cling to the wall and pr ceiling surfaces. In effect, the wallboard is acting like a filter. What you are seeing are those particles. I doubt that it os mold. Mold looks like mold, not dirt.

 

[smwilliamson]

I believe this condition is often referred to as ghosting. When a wood surface (wall or ceiling) is colder than adjacent wall or ceiling areas
minor amounts of condensation occur on these spots. Minor enough that you can't see it, these areas of condensation allow dust to stick the surface.
This condition is most noticed on ceiling rafters in a cape ceiling. I would suspect there is an area of poor insulation or draft occuring
in the cavity behind the drywall causing this shadow effect.

Or the absence of a moisture wrap like typar or tyveck

 

[Wachusett]

I believe this condition is often referred to as ghosting. When a wood surface (wall or ceiling) is colder than adjacent wall or ceiling areas
minor amounts of condensation occur on these spots. Minor enough that you can't see it, these areas of condensation allow dust to stick the surface.
This condition is most noticed on ceiling rafters in a cape ceiling. I would suspect there is an area of poor insulation or draft occuring
in the cavity behind the drywall causing this shadow effect.

Or the absence of a moisture wrap like typar or tyveck

SMW, not splitting hairs with ya, but Typar and Tyvek are both wind wraps for the exterior of the house and have extremely high perm ratings to allow any
water/moisture in the insulated cavity out. Perhaps the vapor barrier (retarder under the new code) could be missing or compromised.

 

[heat seeker]

Now that Wachusett mentioned it, I remember that I had a pretty good case of "ghosting" in one house I owned. You could see rather clearly where the ceiling joists were. Some Kilz and ceiling paint, good as new.

 

[nayslayer]

I've gotten that from burning candles.

 

[Wachusett]

Now that Wachusett mentioned it, I remember that I had a pretty good case of "ghosting" in one house I owned. You could see rather clearly where the ceiling joists were. Some Kilz and ceiling paint, good as new.

With cape roofs if the insulation depth is not sufficient the timber framing remains colder (relatively) compared to the rest of
ceiling assembly. This is called thermal bridging. Those areas of the drywall in contact with the framing will darken over time.

 

[Utilitrack]

Thanks all and Wachusett, you are correct it is a cape. I appreciate all of your feedback.