What is this mysterious sappy and sticky substance on my wall that seems to be dropping from under the molding, leaving brown droplets on my decor boxes in the basement?
Asked by Lia Garnier 
4 months ago
Last Updated: May 13, 2024
Hey everyone! I’ve noticed that whenever I pop into this group, there’s always someone with a question about something in their house and plenty of people ready to help out. So, I figured I’d give it a shot too!
I’m trying to figure out what on earth is on my wall. It’s this sticky, sappy substance that’s brown and looks like it might have dripped down from under the molding. I’ve also found similar brown droplets on some of my decor boxes in the basement, especially the ones under the stairs. At first, I thought maybe it was from the cleaning supplies the maid uses seeping through the stairs, but it doesn’t make sense for it to be on the upper part of the wall… Now I’m really confused!
I remember having this issue on our basement walls when I was young. We could never figure out what it was. I’m curious to see the response.
I found something similar in my bathroom. It was waxy and puzzling. I washed it off, applied Kilz, repainted with semi-gloss, and it hasn’t returned.
One thing’s for sure, whoever lived there before you, especially in an old house, left behind old tar or some type of wax residue from cigarettes. It accumulated on the wall over time, and if you don’t thoroughly clean the wall before painting and implement some smoke remediation methods, it will seep through. I’m not entirely sure how to go about it, but I believe you have to address the source of the seepage. There might be special paint available that can seal it off so it won’t penetrate through. This issue only affects my bathrooms due to the moisture from showering.
No need to worry, just clean with a soapy warm rag and use a dehumidifier in the room. It should keep the issue at bay for a while.
Hey, it’s not from smoking, .
If it’s close to the kitchen, it might be grease. If near a fireplace or gas appliances, it could be soot. Cigarette smoke stains are also possible. The drips may be due to high humidity levels from kitchen or bath steam.
Appears to be leftover tar from smoking.
Do you think a heavy smoker lived in this house? Or maybe someone cooked with oil a lot? Try cleaning the walls with a strong degreaser and hot water to remove the tar. ‘t forget to rinse off the degreaser.
Is there condensation on the HVAC ducts?
Use some WD40.
I remember dealing with this throughout the house I grew up in, but never knew its origin. Looking forward to some answers. Interestingly, there was never a smoker in our house, yet the marks can be cleaned up quite easily.
If you oogle “surfactant leaching,” you’ll find the solution to what it is, why it happens, and how to clean it.
I currently have this issue in my outdated bathroom that I haven’t renovated yet. It didn’t appear immediately, but due to hot showers and lack of a ventilation fan, it’s now running down the walls and forming droplets on the ceiling. Even though I’ve cleaned it off, it keeps coming back after about a month.
Ot these nicotine stains from cigarettes. It’s the culprit.
Alright, taking a closer look, I think I’ll check it out. Is there any ventilation in your bathroom like a fan or window for the water vapor to escape? It seems like the steam is causing water to collect on the ceiling and drip down the wall, bringing dirt along with it. You’ll need better ventilation and seal the gaps between the ceiling and wall.