I have black marks on the ceiling in my kitchen. The marks outline where the beams are. I have cleaned the ceiling and primed it at least 3 seperate times. I would appreciate any suggestions to help fix this problem. Thank you in advance.

 

Well the first issue would be why the beams are causing stain bleed through.I assume these are beams on the other side of a drywall ceiling?Most likely cause would be a moisture issue.If it is then it will keep coming back until it's addressed.It will also damage the srywall if it hasn't already and the staining could also be mold.

As for primer,are you using a stain blocking primer and if so what brand etc?

 

"are you using a stain blocking primer"
and is it solvent based or latex?

btw - welcome to the forums!

 

[QUOTE=spdavid;1528535]Well the first issue would be why the beams are causing stain bleed through.I assume these are beams on the other side of a drywall ceiling?Most likely cause would be a moisture issue.If it is then it will keep coming back until it's addressed.It will also damage the srywall if it hasn't already and the staining could also be mold.

As for primer,are you using a stain blocking primer and if so what brand etc?[/QUOTE

The beams are not where it's staining. The ceiling is not stained where the beams are. The stains are on the ceiling everywhere but where the beams are. I have an attic above the whole house also, but the staining is only in the kitchen and it does come off if I wash it down.

 

It could be just some soot or dust from the hvac system or from cooking. Try painting it with a stain blocking primer. See how that works.

 

Thanks for the welcome, and I've been using latex based primer.

 

If it looks like this:



it's likely "ghosting", see for example:

Ghost Marks and Soot Deposits on House Walls and
Black Stains in Houses: Soot, Dust, or Ghosts?.

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Home Inspection: "A business with illogically high liability, slim profit margins and limited economies of scale. An incredibly diverse, multi-disciplined consulting service, delivered under difficult in-field circumstances, before a hostile audience in an impossibly short time frame, requiring the production of an extraordinarily detailed technical report, almost instantly, without benefit of research facilities or resources." - Alan Carson

 

Latex primers do a poor job of sealing stains. Try either an oil base primer or the ultimate stain sealer - pigmented shellac [like zinnser's BIN]

 

(bold is mine)

She said the "staining" comes off when washed...therefore must not be staining..right?

I believe its some sort of ghosting as well...wonder what the insulation above is like? An infared thermometer would be a good tool for this I think.

Also, Rose, do you have a range hood and does it vent to the exterior?

 

If cleaning removes the stain, how long afterward does it reappear?

 

When I wash it there is still some light staining visible. I do have a range hood but unfortunately it does not vent outside. I measured the temperature on the ceiling with an infared thermometer like you suggested and the temps range from 3 -5 degrees lower where the black is. I have gable vents and a ridge vent in my attic.

 

It doesn't look like that. It is in the kitchen only and it's only on the ceiling. The marks are shaped just like the space between the joists, and where the joists are, it is white and normal.

 

It's probably a vapor barrier/insulation issue. Using a solvent based primer and then top coating with latex paint should fix it.

 

Ultimately especially if oil/solvent based primer does not stop this,try Zinnser BIN.BIN is a shellac based stain blocking primer.It is probably the most stain blocking primer on the market or at least one of the top.It is more involved to use(clean up with denatured alcohol and higher odor) but the bottom line is if it gets through that then paint and primer will not solve your problem alone and there is a cause to this that is more than just stain bleed through.

Maybe there is a moisture or condensation issue above this ceiling.Maybe there was in the past and this is a residual element.

 

I think if the darker area is between the joists it is because there is inadequate insulation in the attic. The joists are better insulators than the drywall alone so when it is cold different contaminants in the air such as smoke from candles, cigarettes, cooking, etc. condense on the drywall and stick more readily where is is cooler.
Often the opposite condition prevails. The stain is where the joists are because they are better conductors than the well insulated attic but the affect is the same only the stains are narrower.

I have seen where poorly insulated attics in old houses plastered over wood lath had a similar effect and one could see the outline of every lath. The keys between the lath are better conductors than the lath themselves so the staining was darker every 1 1/2" between the lath which are better insulators (or at least poorer conductors) than the plaster keys.

I have also seen the same thing happen on exterior walls.

Since it keeps coming back you should address the cause first then the cure.