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THERMAL TRACKING & THERMAL BRIDGING
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Thermal bridging soot stains on a ceiling (C) InspectAPedia.comThermal Tracking: How to Diagnose Indoor Ceiling Stains & Building Air Leaks
InspectAPedia®  -    

  • What causes those dark stains on building interior ceilings? Photos & text identify thermal tracking, thermal bridging, air bypass, insulation defects and air movement in buildings
  • How to recognize poorly insulated building walls or ceilings and how to pinpoint building air leaks
  • A photo-guide to common indoor ceiling and wall stains and what they mean
  • Links to more photos of indoor ceiling or wall stains that are not toxic mold
Our site offers impartial, unbiased advice without conflicts of interest. We will block advertisements which we discover or readers inform us are associated with bad business practices, false-advertising, or junk science. Our contact info is at InspectAPedia.com/appointment.htm.

This article describes how to identify and diagnose ceiling stains in buildings focusing on the cause of various interior wall and ceiling stains and explains how to recognize thermal tracking, thermal bridging stains, building air leaks, and building insulation defects. Often these stains are mistaken for toxic indoor mold.

Our page top photo shows two common thermal tracking or "ghosting" patterns. The narrow dark stains on the ceiling show the location of ceiling joists, and the wide black sooty stain in the upper left of the photo shows where ceiling insulation is less or has been omitted entirely. Readers should see HEAT LOSS in BUILDINGS. Also see AIR SEALING STRATEGIES and AIR LEAK DETECTION TOOLS as well as AIR LEAK MINIMIZATION. For photos of snow melt on rooftops that also show points of building heat transfer and loss, see STAIN DIAGNOSIS on Building Exteriors.

When investigating a building for a mold problem, you can save mold test costs by learning how to recognize Stuff that is Not Mold or is only Harmless Mold but may be mistaken for more serious contamination.

© Copyright 2009 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

Building Air Leaks & Thermal Tracking Marks at Interior Ceilings

Photograph of thermal tracking on an indoor wall

Sooty or dark smudges or stains appearing near the ceiling on the inside of building exterior walls, especially in older homes whose interiors have not been re-painted or cleaned in some time.

Thermal tracking stains may appear at the top of the wall and extend onto the ceiling surface such as shown in this photograph.

Note those dark "stripes" extending along the ceiling and into the room? These ceiling stains probably mark the location of ceiling joists (where the in-room ceiling surface temperature was kept a bit cooler since these locations in the ceiling cavity are occupied by a wood joist rather than by insulation).

Thermal tracking or "soot tracking" such as shown in the photograph at the top of this page may be found wherever moisture condenses on cool building surfaces.

Photograph of  thermal tracking or soot tracking - cool surface, moisture condenses, soot is deposited - Daniel Friedman 02-12-16Warm moisture-laden air touches the cooler surface of a building wall or ceiling, giving up some of its moisture to the surface as condensation.

As air moves through the building, typically up walls and across ceilings, debris in the air, particularly soot such as that left by burning candles (scented candles may be more of an IAQ issue), adheres more to the damp surfaces than to others, leaving black marks or "tracks."

In a conventionally-framed wood structure, wall and ceiling framing is typically on 16" or 24" centers.

The wall or ceiling interior surface will be cooler where the framing is located than will be the spaces which are not touched by framing and which, perhaps, are insulated. So if you see black streaks up the building wall in a regular 16" or 24" pattern, particularly on cooler exterior walls but potentially anywhere, it may be thermal tracking.

Diagnosing Stain Patterns on Cathedral Ceilings

Cathedral Ceiling Stains: Alan Carson, a home inspection educator and researcher, points out that on cathedral ceilings, where we see dark streaks following exterior studs or roof joists, (on cathedral ceilings very often), this is often associated with condensation on the wall or ceiling surface, and dirt in the air sticking to the condensation. When the condensation dries, you just have the dirt following the stud or joists lines. In the upper left section of our photograph below you can see stains marking the location of ceiling joists.

Ceiling stains over lights: Alan Carson adds that we also see dirt marks on ceilings above light bulbs from chandeliers or other light fixtures using incandescent bulbs. For example, if there are five candelabra type bulbs on a chandelier, we will often see five dark rings on the ceiling above. These relate to airborne dirt being thrust against the ceiling as a result of the thermals that are created by the heat of the light bulb.

Ceiling stains at recessed lights (C) Daniel Friedman

Black rectangular stains on ceilings: that are about the width between ceiling joists are likely to mark areas where insulation has been reduced or omitted entirely - as you can see in our page top photo.

In a cathedral ceiling in which older recessed lights have been installed, you may see a combination of patterns:

  • black rectangular stains around the ceiling light (insulation was kept several inches away from the light for fire safety), and
  • white rectangular areas of "no stain" in sections of ceiling between the recessed lights (where an insulation batt was installed, but spaced away from the lights).

Ceiling stain where insulation was left out (C) Daniel Friedman

 

Ceiling stains where insulation has been omitted completely: may be very apparent such as this photograph taken in a garage.

The garage ceiling was insulated except along one side where you see the long dark rectangular stain. This side of the garage was also an outside wall.

In a damp garage we might find mold growth on this area.

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THERMAL TRACKING & THERMAL BRIDGING
  What is Thermal Tracking
  Ceiling Thermal Tracking Marks
  Wall Thermal Tracking Stains
  Floor Carpet Thermal Tracking Stains
  Air Bypass Leaks Marks on Insulation
  Thermal Tracking to Diagnose IAQ
  Stains HVAC Supply Registers
  Pet Stains on Floors
  Pet Stains on Walls
  Human Occupant Stains on Walls
  Stains from Candles, Woodstoves, Fireplaces
  Other Stains on Indoor Walls & Ceilings
  What to Do About Thermal Tracking
SIDING WOOD
STAIN DIAGNOSIS on Building Exteriors
STAIN DIAGNOSIS on Indoor Surfaces
STAINS on Indoor Surfaces: PHOTO GUIDE
STAINS on Indoor Surfaces: PHOTO GUIDE
CARPET TEST GUIDE
also see Investigation of Indoor House Dust Debris
  • Thanks to Alan Carson, Carson Dunlop, Associates, Toronto, for technical critique and content suggestions regarding thermal tracking.
  • We welcome more thermal tracking, soot tracking, air bypass leaks, and similar photos of indoor stains as well as text suggestions to expand this detail and would be glad to credit contributors.

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ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS - INSPECT, TEST, REMEDY
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DIAGNOSE OTHER DARK STAINS on Indoor Surfaces
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