white chalky residue on the walls
#1
10-30-14, 01:02 PM
white chalky residue on the walls
I also have the same issue.House is built in 1976.All interior walls are drywalled. Bedroom painted dark blue about 12 years ago. On the 2 outside walls there is a powdery film. When it is removed with a 4/1 bleach solution, the powdery white residue returns in about a week or so. Most of the top floor of the house is painted in a Taupe color, in the correct sunlight you can see the same powdery build up but in streaks. All paint was purchased from Home D and is interior paint. Exterior of house is all rough cut boards painted with stain from home D.
There is no smell, when you run your hand across the wall with the powdery film build up it has a slightly sticky feel.
Mostly concerned if this is a health hazard: mold, mildew,etc ???
Any help from those who know for sure is greatly appreciated.
There is no smell, when you run your hand across the wall with the powdery film build up it has a slightly sticky feel.
Mostly concerned if this is a health hazard: mold, mildew,etc ???
Any help from those who know for sure is greatly appreciated.
#2
10-30-14, 01:08 PM
Group Moderator
Welcome to the forums, Harry. I moved your question into its own thread to increase visibility.
#3
10-30-14, 02:11 PM
Other than effervescence which I've only seen happen on masonry walls - I've never seen the powdery residue on a painted wall 
Dark colors will get streaky if they get wet like in a bath with shower.
Do you know what the humidity level is in your house? Mold needs moisture to grow! I assume the drywall is solid and in decent shape ?? When did this issue start?
Dark colors will get streaky if they get wet like in a bath with shower.Do you know what the humidity level is in your house? Mold needs moisture to grow! I assume the drywall is solid and in decent shape ?? When did this issue start?
#5
10-31-14, 03:44 AM
Joe, do you mean chalk?
Latex paints will degrade when exposed to the elements. The degraded paint becomes chalky and will leave a white residue on your fingers if you run them over the paint. Most paints will not adhere to chalk! I've never seen chalky paint on the interior. TSP is a great cleaner but it must be rinsed well!! The residue can cause adhesion issues - I only use it on the exterior.
Latex paints will degrade when exposed to the elements. The degraded paint becomes chalky and will leave a white residue on your fingers if you run them over the paint. Most paints will not adhere to chalk! I've never seen chalky paint on the interior. TSP is a great cleaner but it must be rinsed well!! The residue can cause adhesion issues - I only use it on the exterior.
#6
08-23-15, 01:22 PM
I have the same thing happening on my dark taupe painted wall - Benjamin Moore Kauai Jungle. It is an exterior wall (wood sided exterior on the other side) and in a very hot & bright area with a ceiling skylight across the entire top of the wall.
The room was repainted about 4 years ago and I noticed after a year that it started showing white marks.
This never happened with the previous paint although it was a similar dark colour (Ralph Lauren Cliff Rock?) and on the walls for almost 10 years.
The white patches are random and streaky in some areas and always return after I wipe them down.
I think that I will have the wall treated/cleaned and repainted.
Can anyone recommend a good paint brand for dark pigmented colours?
The room was repainted about 4 years ago and I noticed after a year that it started showing white marks.
This never happened with the previous paint although it was a similar dark colour (Ralph Lauren Cliff Rock?) and on the walls for almost 10 years.
The white patches are random and streaky in some areas and always return after I wipe them down.
I think that I will have the wall treated/cleaned and repainted.
Can anyone recommend a good paint brand for dark pigmented colours?
#7
08-23-15, 04:50 PM
I'm thinking these issues are insulation heat and humidity attraction issues. I've seen a similar phenomenon in old old houses with wood lath and plaster. I've seen where the more dense plaster keys which are better conducters of heat than th wood lath strips let the pattern of the joists and lath telegraph through the paint. I think it was decades of dust and maybe smoke in the air that was attracted to the colder areas n the ceilings. I think something similR could. E happening with your walls. I don't know what the relationship is with th dark paint but there must be a correlation.
#8
09-22-15, 07:29 AM
Member
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: USA
Posts: 5
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes
on
0 Posts
chalky residue
We live in GA and recently discovered this same thing happening in a couple of places in our home. It was built in 1988, if that matters. Places where it has occurred include an interior wall that is painted dark blue, and a drywalled-basement wall that is underground. We cleaned the walls with water/bleach mixture and bought a couple of dehumidifiers along with a humidistat.
Discovered that the humidity in the house was somewhere between 60-68%. Once the dehumidifier arrived, it has worked non-stop just to get it down to the low 30's%. So far, chalkiness has not returned.
We also learned that the chalky residue is not the same as mold, which is very bad.
Discovered that the humidity in the house was somewhere between 60-68%. Once the dehumidifier arrived, it has worked non-stop just to get it down to the low 30's%. So far, chalkiness has not returned.
We also learned that the chalky residue is not the same as mold, which is very bad.
