# White dusty film on bedroom walls



## elmore04 (Oct 11, 2011)

What causes a white dusty film on my bedroom walls and how can I get rid of it?


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## 95025 (Nov 14, 2010)

This may be a stupid question, but has there been any drywall work done in your house in recent months?


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## elmore04 (Oct 11, 2011)

DrHicks said:


> This may be a stupid question, but has there been any drywall work done in your house in recent months?


 
No there hasn't.


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## 1910NE (Sep 5, 2010)

If it where spring, I would say pollen. Where are you located?


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## jsheridan (Jan 30, 2011)

White mold?


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

Pic needed


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## jules4 (Jul 7, 2010)

Maybe they were painted using exterior paint and it's chalking?


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

jules4 said:


> Maybe they were painted using exterior paint and it's chalking?


 Now, there is a thought.:thumbsup:


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## jsheridan (Jan 30, 2011)

Question: Why would exterior paint chalk when used interior?


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## boman47k (Aug 25, 2006)

jsheridan said:


> Question: Why would exterior paint chalk when used interior?


Kind of made me cock my head when I read this. Reason being, I admit I painted my bthrm a few years ago with exterior paint. No chalking that I am aware of.
I say 'that I am aware of', because I have noticed what looked like some sort of stain trying to run on the walls. Wife said it was dirty walls, but I have never noticed this before. Could it be that it was actually a chalky substance reacting to moisture in the bthrm?

Btw, op? What are your walls made of? Drywall? Plaster? Block? What kind of paint is on them now?


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## jsheridan (Jan 30, 2011)

Boman, that stain is surfactant leaching from the paint, it's caused by steam. It's brownish. Wipes right off with water.


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## jules4 (Jul 7, 2010)

jsheridan said:


> Question: Why would exterior paint chalk when used interior?


Okay, so that's pretty unlikely . . . there are some (not _entirely_ outlandish) situations in which it might happen:

Lots of old windows (non-low-E)

Low quality, highly-pigmented paint - just being exposed to the air would probably result in enough oxidation to break down the binders. 

Add occasional washing of the bedroom walls to either of the above conditions and I could see it happening.


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

jsheridan said:


> Question: Why would exterior paint chalk when used interior?


*Mildewicide *leaching out. Hell, I don't know, it sounded good at 4 this morning before my coffee.

Maybe a bag of flour ( or some OTHER white powdered substance) exploded:laughing:


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## sksadlock (Aug 5, 2012)

I am having the same problem that started about when you posted this...just curious..what kind of paint did you use and color? We were trying to figure it out tonight ...if it was the batch of paint that we got...because not happening in other rooms that were painted at different times!


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Oil paints will chalk. See the current posts about how lindseed oil paints will. Alkyds should not be so bad. Acrylics should not chalk.


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## whodatfan (Aug 26, 2012)

*white film on walls in one bedroom.*

I have been fighting this white film on the walls in one bedroom, also. We wipe it off, then eventually it comes back. Another DIY forum talks about "frosting". There are even pics. 
http://www.diychatroom.com/f4/please-help-weird-white-streaks-wall-135265/
This guy Ric appears to know his stuff. I will give it a try.


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

whodatfan said:


> I have been fighting this white film on the walls in one bedroom, also. We wipe it off, then eventually it comes back. Another DIY forum talks about "frosting". There are even pics.
> http://www.diychatroom.com/f4/please-help-weird-white-streaks-wall-135265/
> This guy Ric appears to know his stuff. I will give it a try.


 
He's the man:thumbsup:


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