Corners of Room turned a different colour

[continuitygirl]

Hi

I notice last night that the corners of my bedroom walls were a completely different colour tot he rest of the room. I've been in my flat for 3 years and it has not been decorated in that time, I've recently had a damp problem in the room, can anyone give me some advice?

Untitled

• continuitygirl
• 7 Feb 2011
• 1

Untitled

• continuitygirl
• 7 Feb 2011
• 1

 

[jeds]

Difficult to see from the photo but condensation very commonly occurs in tight corners due to limited air circulation. If you have general dampness issues I wouldn't mind betting you are suffereing condensation.

The answer. initially, is to increase ventilation. If you have trickle vents on your windows make sure they are open. If you have extractor fans in your kitchen and bathroom make sure they are switched on and used and that the timer overun in the bathroom is set to 20 minutes. If not open the windows more often and particularly when you shower.

 

[JohnD]

It looks to me more like a flexible filler, such as decorators caulk or silicone sealer, has been used in the corners to hide cracks. Feel it with your fingernail. It is often difficult to make emulsion paint stick to these rubbery fillers, though decorators caulk is supposed to be better than most.

p.s. if the air is dirty in that room, for example with smoke from candles or cigarettes, the walls will darken where the particles stick to it. You could try cleaning a very small test patch.

 

[continuitygirl]

It's definitely not flexible filler, the walls are lined with lining paper prior to being painted, however the lining paper is not tight in the corners and instead curves round

 

[JohnD]

so there is an air gap?

try the dirt test then.

 

[joinerjohn]

When walls are lined with lining paper, it's common practice to run decorators caulk into the corners. I'd be surprised if it were lined and the paper continued straight around an internal corner.

 

[continuitygirl]

so there is an air gap?

try the dirt test then.

I think there is an air gap as in some places there are rips in the lining paper. I do not think any decorators caulk in the corners, everything about this flat is slightly shoddy, I don't think this room was decorated properly

would a dirt test, mean simply givinghte area a wipe with a damp cloth and seeing if the darker walls are infact just dirty and the lighter colour in the corners is the proper colour of the walls?

 

[JohnD]

I'd probably sponge them with a nearly dry sponge, moistened with warm water and household cleaner like Flash. Rinse and squeeze it out after each wipe or it will smear dirt into the surface.

 

[Nige F]

FLASH Aaa Haaa