Just an update…they still haven’t come out to try and see where the ghosting is coming from in my house. It isn’t washing off the walls with the mild bleach solution they told me to use. Well, one of the maintenance guys came to the apartment one day saying he was coming to install the new fan for the bathroom. I asked him what bathroom fan? the one I have is new. He came in and looked at it anyway. He took the cover off of the fan and looked. The paint was peeling away and there was some mold. He asked me if the head maintenance had seen it. I told him yes. He asked me if E. (head maintenance guy) said anything. I told him the only thing he said was he would come in himself to install a single light switch instead of the dual one. So, when I turn on the light the fan comes on. The only problem with that is I usually shower when the baby is sleeping and I keep the door open so I can hear him. If the fan is on, I won’t be able to. So, what B. (regular maintenance guy) told me was that instead of sucking the air up and out, it was sucking it up and to the side. They were going to ahve to replace my whole ceiling. They also replaces part of the wall on one side because of the light they had there (looks like a tray ceiling with a big florescent light that looks like the ones in my kitchen). So, he goes up there the next day and apparently we have the blown in insulation. When they were building these apartments, I guess they got lazy and didn’t secure the plastic. LOL Lets say B. wasn’t happy to get insulation rained down upon him. Some of the insulation was molded where the exhaust fan is. They ahve been doing that for a few days, replacing the ceiling, taping and mudding, letting it dry, sand, mud some more, sanding…Tomorrow they are coming out to paint the bathroom. Then they are moving to the other bedroom where I have the musty smell. Apparently, my neighbor downstairs was having problems with her window. They came and replaced it but there was a rotton stud there. Funny how where I have the rust spots on the ceiling and the dip in the ceiling, that is the exact spot where the rotton stud was downstairs. So, they are cutting into the wall and are going to look and see. It may take a bit because they may have to come out and look when it is raining. We have balcolnies right outside the window. They are by the front of our apartments. The beam for the roof of the balcolny goes into the outside right where the rust spots and the dip are. sigh Anyway, I will keep you all posted on this if you want. Thanks!!!
Mild bleach solution is sometimes recommended for removing mold, but I don’t think that’s mold on the ceiling.
Because the dark spots outline the ceiling framing, they appear to have to do with thermal bridging of the ceiling joists… the drywall is colder at ceiling joists because heat flows up from the room through the joists more quickly than through the insulation. Since they move more slowly through cool air than through warm air, parfticulates are settling on the cooler surfaces faster than they settle on warm surface.
The source of the particulates might be a dirty furnace air filter, dust, smoke or soot.
The musty smell is probably related to your moisture issue. If they’re opening things up, you’ll probably know soon.
Twenty-five years ago they seldom used screws for drywall, it was mostly nails, which pop out under repeated wetting.