# Nearly 20 faint spots on ceiling, unsure of cause.



## jmon (Nov 5, 2012)

Do you have access from above? 

Looks like some sort of water damage. Maybe condensation, roof leaking, just guesses until you investigate further.


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## KHouse75 (May 14, 2008)

Is this in a kitchen or somewhere where people would eat.

I've seen this many times in kitchen and dining areas. Especially when people have small kids. Greasy food gets splattered, spit or thrown and a grease ring forms around it.

I've also see these with those sticky toys that kids throw on the walls and ceiling. I have spots all over my kids ceilings from those.


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## voxelblock (May 20, 2018)

Thanks for responding. I did forget to mention this is a bedroom. I've also only owned the house a short while

There is attic space above but I cannot easily access it, unfortunately.

The ceiling and walls have a lot of pin pricks, as if stuff was hung up in various places, so I'm guessing it was probably previously a kids room, lending some credence to the sticky toy theory. The spots also don't seem like they share an obvious line (like along a joist).

If I cut a hole out of the drywall ceiling around one of these spots, I should be able to look at the opposite side of the drywall and see if the spot is all the way through, no? Wouldn't that probably tell me if it's water damage from the roof or somewhere above the ceiling?


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

Unless the drywall is soft I wouldn't cut any holes! It looks more like a containment than water stains although the paint fix is the same - a solvent based primer and latex paint.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Cutting a hole just to see the other side is going to take more repair work, than getting a young person to access the attic area and take pictures for you.

I once was hired to paint a ceiling where there were scores of spots similar to yours.

Turned out that someone had been picking their nose a lot, and flicking the booger up onto the ceiling.

And cleaning it off had created these spots after the tenant had vacated,

So no telling what could have caused this.

Check for roof leaks, and then a good primer and paint to take care of this.



ED


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## ront02769 (Nov 28, 2008)

Didn’t read the whole t just looking at the spots brought back an issue I’ve dealt with in multiple bedrooms, e.b. Those self adhesive glowing star pattern things that need to be scraped off, sanded, hit with goof off, and finally hit with kilz.....


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