Maybe globs of adhesive they used to hang the drywall holding temperature???
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Thus my question…
And his reply…
And…
Hopefully by now he realizes that without further testing and evaluating, he will never get an answer worth anything.
Without more/ANY factual data, everything is just a WAG and without any merit.
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The wall was dry. So, no one has seen anything like this before? All you really need to say is that you don’t know what it is or you’ve never seen anything like it before.
I appreciate all the info!
While I’ve not so many in one localized area, I do see drywall mud “circles” with thermal scans, typically on ceilings. They always test negative for moisture.
It appears the compound holds or releases energy at a different rate than the gypsum wallboard.
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Ditto, as do I. Often they are from lighting cans that have been eliminated. Very rarely are they properly insulated and have added vapor barriers.
Ceilings are one thing. Basement/foundation walls are entirely another, and typically have zero relation to one another in causation.
If it wasn’t for the “above grade” circle areas, my WAG would be patches from a removed underground Oil Tank or Propane tank, or Septic waste pipes converted to Public Sewer.
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This is helpful. Thank you
- Was it colder outside than inside?
- Was the foundation wall made of concrete?
- Was there a lack of studs in the exterior wall? In other words, was the drywall attached using adhesive rather than fasteners?
Conduction typically transfers heat faster than convection.
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Like a wall mirror? I was thinking the same. A few taps on the wall would have offered some clues.
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These are good questions. Typically I see the studs with the thermal imaging. They aren’t visible, so you’re saying that the house might not have studs in the basement? No wood framing on the inside of the foundation wall? And they used an adhesive to attach the drywall directly to the concrete and no insulation?
Yes was colder outside for sure. In the 40s
The house is a 1964 build.
The foundation is concrete.
The other room in the basement on this wall of the house did not have these circles, so maybe this room was constructed differently?
Thanks!
Here’s the outside wall.
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The drywall could have been attached directly to the concrete. I didn’t think of that before. I was assuming they would install framing and insulation on the interior side of the concrete wall…
Looks like form ties to me. But I’m in my kitchen in Utah. 
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Generally speaking, it is a bad idea, but it could have been done. Maybe a quick and cheap application to sell the house.
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More information needed.
Year of constriction?
Structure: Structural masonry building? Does not appear to be timber framed. No visible studs in the thermogram.
Inner wall assembly materials.
Foundtion material. Image of the foundtion.
Kinda raises the question…
“Why this room, and not the other? What was wrong with this room that they needed to ‘cover-the-walls’?”
IMO, that is a bit unusual to only ‘finish’ one room!
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Robert, this is a fun one. Your question has a lot of us interested.
Is there any chance you have access to go back and take a moisture meter and a stud finder to check that room and the other basement rooms?
we can figure this out together.
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Yeah and it sorta has the makings of a 70s horror film. The larvae doppelgangers are stored in those holes and will pop out when they mature and eat anyone who is near.
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lol. Yeah it does. I find it interesting. I know now to knock on the wall if I see this. Perhaps the drywall is just glued up. Hopefully with good insulation between.
It just threw me off that this is only in one room in the basement.
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Good questions. It’s not close to where I live. I’m curious about it but I don’t see it as a defect. Maybe I could have commented that there might be weak insulation?
Can’t have both.
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Now do you better understand why I asked this question?
There are so many potential RED FLAG questions that an experienced inspector learns to ask while the concern is staring them in the face. These questions need to be asked while on site, so steps can be taken to find the answers if possible.
An example of this is in another thread posted today, where a contractor turned PT Inspector, complained about inspectors in general removing an outlet cover to verify a suspected condition.
Point I’m making is… do you think removing an outlet cover at this wall would give you further information about said wall, such as any framing (if any)… type of insulation (if any)… vapor barrier (if any)…??
Also how did you determine the following comment if you did not use any other test equipment…?? A moisture meter would be the very first tool I grab from my bag!
Note: it’s also important to know the construction of the wall to help minimize false reading from a moisture meter.
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