Paint Ghosting – What’s Going On?

The term “ghost” can mean a handful of different things, but when it comes to interior paint, it has nothing to do with spooky spirits or unceremoniously cutting off communication… Instead, “ghosting” refers to a relatively common issue – streaks and stains along walls and ceilings, sometimes called “soot staining” or “thermal tracking.”

For people unfamiliar with the problem, paint ghosting can be mistaken for mold, an issue with the paint, or other major issues. Fortunately, ghosting is fairly common and has relatively simple solutions.

Ghosting occurs for a few reasons, but it’s easy to identify. When you see streaks of grime, which may appear as dark stains or faint, ghostly markings, it’s because dust and debris are gathering in certain areas and adhering to your interior paint. As particulates float through the air, conditions in your home can cause them to accumulate in certain areas. As they bunch together, streaks and stains will begin to appear.

The exact cause of these ghost markings is going to be unique to your home, but understanding the contributing factors should help you identify what’s going on in your specific situation.

Causes of Paint Ghosting

Our homes are full of moving air, variances in temperature and moisture, and little imperfections that go largely unnoticed. We also have all kinds of dirt, dust, debris, and even soot in our homes – and don’t often think much of it.

Whether it’s ash from a fireplace or wood stove, dirt from shoes, tiny amounts of soot from burning candles, even bits of dust from unsealed stone floors or walkways… The sources of tiny, airborne particles are numerous, and over time, they build up in the most susceptible areas of our homes to cause those ghostly streaks and stains we’re discussing today.

The actual dust and debris, however, is only half of the equation. These particulates may be a bit of a nuisance on their own, but ghosting happens when they gather together and turn into eyesores on your walls and ceilings. This accumulation happens for a few different reasons, but it mostly comes down to moisture and temperature.

Ghosting can happen on ceilings because of gaps in insulation – where exposed joists or attic rafters are allowing cooler air to get near the ceiling, which then causes condensation that attracts the dust and dirt. This same process can happen around the studs on exterior walls, or anywhere else with a large variance in temperature.

In addition to condensation and moisture, heat sources also affect the airflow in a given room, which is why you may see ghosting above vanity lights, large lamps, clothes dryers, oven ranges, and so on. The warm air moves upward, taking the particulates with it!

These are just a few of the common causes of paint ghosting, but the same essential principles are behind nearly every case. If you notice ghosting on your walls or ceilings, think about the physics at play in your home… Where are the heat sources? Why might there be excess moisture or condensation? Is there a draft coming from somewhere?

What to Do About Paint Ghosting

First, it’s essential to understand that simply painting over ghost streaks and stains (even if you can cover them completely) is little more than a temporary solution. While repainting is an eventual part of the process, you have to stop the root causes for any long term relief.

That means closely examining where the ghosting is happening, determining the causes, and making some changes to stop the problems from repeating.

For straight line ghosting on ceilings, it could be a matter of fixing or adding insulation in the attic to get rid of gaps. For walls, it could be updating window seals to reduce drafts. To reduce overall moisture in your home, you could consider an exhaust fan for the bathroom or kitchen, and even running a dehumidifier during the hottest months of the year.

In addition to slowing or stopping the conditions that cause dirt, soot, debris, and dust to accumulate in specific areas, you can also take steps to reduce the overall amount of particulates floating through your home!

Small steps can actually make a big difference here, like using a bristly welcome mat and asking people to remove their shoes when they come inside. You can cut down on candle use, change furnace or air filters more frequently, check ventilation systems more frequently (like the dryer), cut down on fireplace or wood stove use (and make sure they’re properly ventilated), put shades over hot light bulbs, and stay away from combustible cooking oils.

All of those contribute to the amount of dust and soot in your home, and in the right conditions, will adhere to walls and ceilings in the form of “ghosting.”

Look into repainting only after you’ve identified the problem areas and some of the potential causes. Improve conditions as best you can, then clean the walls as thoroughly as possible. After the walls are clean and dry, you can use a stain covering paint to get things back to normal.

If the problems persist, however, you may need to make larger changes around your home to reduce airborne debris and improve the most susceptible areas.

If you have any questions about how to fix the paint ghosting in your home, how to identify why it’s happening, and what types of paint work best for fighting against it, contact CertaPro today!