Rusty curtain rod screws ... signs of an issue?
#1
11-10-12, 03:35 AM
Rusty curtain rod screws ... signs of an issue?
We have a 10 year old colonial in Massachusetts (drywall interior, wood exterior). We're the second owners, and have been in the house for four months.
Last night, I took down a bunch of curtain rod hooks. Each hook was affixed to the walls with two black screws (approx 2" long) and anchors. I don't know how long the rods had been up.
On about half the screws, the tips were rusty. There was no consistency to the rusting; in many cases, a single hook would have both a rusty screw and perfectly mint one. The rust did not compromise any of the affected screws - all were still perfectly usable, just a little rusted.
Is this a sign of anything? I understand moisture exists to some degree in walls and that it's possible they've been like that for a long time (esp if they were installed soon after the house was built while there may have been more moisture in the walls), but I wanted to see if this was a) more common than I thought and nothing to worry about, or b) a sign of a larger problem.
Note: I pulled the covers off of some electrical outlets and light switches in the same area to check for any signs of corrosion, and they were in mint condition.
Thanks!
Last night, I took down a bunch of curtain rod hooks. Each hook was affixed to the walls with two black screws (approx 2" long) and anchors. I don't know how long the rods had been up.
On about half the screws, the tips were rusty. There was no consistency to the rusting; in many cases, a single hook would have both a rusty screw and perfectly mint one. The rust did not compromise any of the affected screws - all were still perfectly usable, just a little rusted.
Is this a sign of anything? I understand moisture exists to some degree in walls and that it's possible they've been like that for a long time (esp if they were installed soon after the house was built while there may have been more moisture in the walls), but I wanted to see if this was a) more common than I thought and nothing to worry about, or b) a sign of a larger problem.
Note: I pulled the covers off of some electrical outlets and light switches in the same area to check for any signs of corrosion, and they were in mint condition.
Thanks!
#2
11-10-12, 03:48 AM
Member
Moisture around the window area is not an uncommon thing, particularly in a colder climate. With window coverings up, warm air in the house can condense onto the colder windows and be trapped in that general area with the drapes closed. Check for drafts, make sure the windows open/close and are sealing properly, and caulk where appropriate. It would not hurt to do a quick exterior inspection to see if any caulking is needed outside.
#3
11-10-12, 03:56 AM
Thanks!
This reminds me (somewhat obviously!) that one of the projects I have slated for the spring is to replace some of the exterior window trim on 3 or 4 windows, where there's some wood rot on the vertical pieces (about 3-4 total inches in all cases, up from the bottom of the sill).
Based on what you said, I'm willing to bet there's some kind of connection there...
This reminds me (somewhat obviously!) that one of the projects I have slated for the spring is to replace some of the exterior window trim on 3 or 4 windows, where there's some wood rot on the vertical pieces (about 3-4 total inches in all cases, up from the bottom of the sill).
Based on what you said, I'm willing to bet there's some kind of connection there...
#4
11-10-12, 05:51 AM
Group Moderator
Probably just frost on the screw head caused some rust, just like roofing nails get during the winter up in the attic if they pierce the roof sheathing. Depending on which nail was rusty and where, it could be like czizzi said, an air leak around a window... it could be that your window perimeter doesn't have much insulation around it, or maybe if you have painted trim, the perimeter of the casing needs to be caulked to the wall to help air seal.
#5
11-20-12, 09:10 PM
Or maybe, the guy who installed the curtain rods ran out of new screws, didn't want to make the typical 1 1/2 hour trip to the hardware store and, simply used some older rusty screws that he had on hand. Been there, done that...
