Hi A friend has a fireplace (Maybe a heatilator type) with metal blocking plate and nice round easy to open flue damper gets black soot on the walls! There is also a Harman P61a pellet stove in the next room blowing the heat around but it has an OAK and not much black on the walls above that. These are cathedral ceilings and the black is close to the ceiling but on the walls and some black on the ceiling. What is the vent in the wall above the fireplace for? There is one on the other side too? What can cause that? Any suggestions what to do? See pics
Does the house smell of smoke? If not that may be mildew on the walls. In the pictures the dark patterns follow the studs and insulation indicating that temperature differences on the wall come into play. If there is no smoke smell in the house have him check the humidity and how well that wall is insulated. If there is a smoke smell my guess is that there are two problems. First, there is smoke coming into the room due to a poor draft or a crack or open seam between the fire box and the convection ducts. How old is the unit and when was the last time it and the flue had a good inspection? Second problem is still the insulation in that wall. If the wall is cold then when the water vapor & smoke come in contact with the colder areas they will condense and leave the dark areas. KaptJaq
That doesn't look like smoke. Mold or dirt stuck to condensation on the wet spots that form over the cold studs.
It looks a lot like "ghosting" of soot. If he has forced hot air, is the air filter dark, not dust grayish brown, but a black sooty color? I've seen this with people that burn crappy candles. I've seen dark lines in the carpeting under doors where the air passes. The soot clings to plastic trash barrels, plastic storage containers, and vinyl window blinds.
"I've seen this with people that burn crappy candles." Ditto. Had a similar event in a rental. Looked identical. Could not believe it. Spooky. Thought they might have been cooking meth! Nope. Candles everywhere. Freaks. PIA to resurrect. Deposit kept....... By chance is the guy operating the forced air furnace while burning in the fireplace? That might goof up the draft enough to let smoke escape?
That is not smoke or soot. It is a moisture problem from within the walls that is bleeding out to be seen. I would investigate roof first and go from there. Might take a small hole in the sheet rock to find out also. There is to much of a pattern to the stains to be from the interior of the room as far as I am concerned.
I've seen this caused by both soot/dust and mildew. Soot/dust cause by poor or insulation or voids in insulation. Cold air behind drywall causes a little condensation on living side and collects soot and dust over time. The mildew issue I saw was down low on a wall behind a dresser. The vapor barrier was sliced during construction and air condensed on the living side causing mildew. The dresser against the wall prevented it from being discovered and lack of air flow did not help it dry out. Plenty of info on the net of this problem.
I once repainted an entire interior of a house with the same problem. No fireplace or mold issues. Source was "scentsy" air freshness that melt wax.
Hello Definitely soot in the air, because it killed this fan that was on top the pellet stove! See soot on fan blade pics
Soot drifts by convection, just like dust. Lots of factors involved, as to where it sticks. I am a fastidious housekeeper, yet if you take down a picture or mirror that has been hanging for many years, you will find a faint negative of grime on the wall. A good wipe with mild soap and water takes care of it. Look at the top of the fireplace. That same soot is becoming airborne, and settling in other places, such as behind picture, on drapes, blinds, etc. Yes, candles these days can do the same thing too! I don't think there are any good ones around, unless you make your own with beeswax. Also, if the person has central air or heat pump, if will also move the oily, dusty. sooty stuff around. All pretty normal, you just have to clean it up!
