Oil/grease or wet patch on interior wall

[Katehe]

BE0F12D2-8C46-4900-ACD8-A17E497290BD

• Katehe
• 22 Feb 2022

BE0F12D2-8C46-4900-ACD8-A17E497290BD

• Katehe
• 22 Feb 2022

BE0F12D2-8C46-4900-ACD8-A17E497290BD

• Katehe
• 22 Feb 2022

57A1D457-3ABC-42FB-A01F-4D5865AB86F3

• Katehe
• 22 Feb 2022

CC93B30E-D76E-429C-843C-BBC6E9EA9BA3

• Katehe
• 22 Feb 2022

A235259F-C637-45EC-BEF9-D2E4A1016699

• Katehe
• 22 Feb 2022

618EB0C6-B6FD-4751-8806-E712693DB462

• Katehe
• 22 Feb 2022

Our house was built In 1996 but over the last two years has developed a strange damp/wet/oil patch. This is on an interior wall on the living room side that shared with the kitchen.

It was suggested we try Damp blocking it and repainting. But as you can see from the photos it didn’t work it’s just bigger. Since trying this we now also have two baby patches that have appeared on the same horizontal line.

I am a bit lost what to do next. We don’t have a chimney, it’s a Semi detached house and like i say this only became an issue in the last two years - we have lived here for 14 years and it’s been fine. All other walls in the house are fine.
it’s also been soaking into the sofa which usually sits flush against the wall.
Which is weird because the wall doesn’t actually feel wet or damp or greasy in anyway.

You can see this in the photos where the line is across the bottom of the damp patches. This is where the sofa height is.

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Katehe]

Any ideas would be appreciated - had someone look at it and they have no idea!

 

[sparkwright]

What is the sofa made of?

 

[Katehe]

Hi! It’s a leather sofa

 

[sparkwright]

Thought you might say that.

How far from the wall is it?

Does it touch the wall?

Was the stain block you used oil-based?

 

[Katehe]

Oh yes, even if I try to keep it away the kids catapult it to the wall when they sit on it.
I’ve used a few things - someone recommended pva glue and paint - that didn’t work. Gloss paint - that didn’t work.
Damp primer - not sure if it was oil based and can’t remember the brand (sorry!)

it’s so frustrating!

Was going to buy a new sofa soon, but don’t want to until we get this sorted!

thanks for your help

 

[sparkwright]

PVA + paint = disaster unless you really know what you are doing. This can cause a reaction, often resulting in paint bubbling up or crazing etc etc.

Oil-based under coat, NOT gloss, would be a cheap, convenient product to put over the spots.

However, based on what you have said, it may not solve the problem.

You definitely shouldn't have the leather sofa touching the wall, so you need to see if this makes a difference once you have touched up the wall.

The only other thing I think of offhand is the fact that the kitchen is the other side, so whether heat from the cooker, or a plumbing leak, or something similar is causing this - I couldn't really say.

 

[Katehe]

Thanks will give that a go!