# Removed Wallpaper and there is a Black Spot on the Wall



## km782 (Nov 2, 2015)

I recently bought a house. It is 30 years old and in good shape for the most part but I am in the process of painting and doing a few other things to fix it up the way I want it. One of the bedrooms had wallpaper that likely has been there a long time. In places it was starting to peel away from the walls.

I used a steamer and wallpaper stripper to get it off but it will take some care to smooth out and prep the walls before painting. There is one spot where the wallpaper was in particularly bad shape and when I removed it, there was a light black spot on the wall about 7 inches in diameter (see attached picture). I'm worried that this is a sign of mold and/or water damage. There is no plumbing that runs behind this wall. However, it is an exterior wall that butts up against the attached garage. The roof line of the garage is roughly about the height of this spot on the wall. I drilled a hole through the middle of it and the insulation behind the wall seems like it is in good shape so I doubt it is outside water damage. 

The only other thing I can think of is the former owner had a bed up against this wall and there is a heat vent on the floor. I'm wondering if that forced moisture up between the wall and the wallpaper.

The wall isn't warped and seems solid. It appears to be dry now. Does anyone have any other ideas for what could have caused this? Should I be worried about it or just go ahead and sand everything down as usual and use a good oil based primer before painting? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks


----------



## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

Very common to see underneath old wallpaper. As you guessed, moisture got trapped underneath and mildew/mold began to form. Kill it with some bleach or Krud Kutter and all will be fine.


----------

