Eugene R – Page 20 – Drywall Eugene

You've probably wondered, "Why does plaster turn yellow?" There are many reasons that could be responsible. Listed below are just a few: Cigarette smoke, water leaks, mold, and moisture. Hopefully, one of these factors is the cause of your yellowing plaster. If not, keep reading! Here are a few simple solutions to help you save money and fix your plaster! Continue reading to learn more about common causes and solutions. Moisture One of the most common causes of deteriorating plaster is excessive moisture. This problem is most common in walls. A high level of humidity can cause a plaster surface to turn yellow. The underlying causes of a wall's yellow color are not always obvious, and a thorough inspection should be done before resurfacing the wall. The following tips can help identify and treat the problem. Read on to discover why plaster is turning yellow and how to treat it. The most common cause of plaster turning yellow is exposure to water and moisture. Water soaked into the plaster can bleed through the masonry into the interior. Common sources of exterior moisture include leaky windows and plumbing. While wall coatings can help prevent the bleed-through of moisture, these are only a temporary fix and should not be used to replace plaster. The proper method of sealing a plaster is to contact a qualified professional who will have the knowledge and expertise to identify the source of moisture and fix it. The first step is to inspect the plaster. If the stain is yellow or brown, it indicates that water has penetrated the wall. You should check for elongated drip-like stains that occur where the wall meets the ceiling or under a window. A regular drip leak from plumbing can also cause stains on a wall. Ensure the envelop of the wall is properly sealed and treated with a stain-killing primer before painting the wall. Mold There are a few reasons that mold may be responsible for plaster turning yellow. One of the most common causes is a house-eating fungus called Epicoccum nigrum. This fungus grows on a wide variety of household materials, including drywall, wood, paper, and carpet. Its color ranges from yellow to orange, depending on the environment. The fungus can affect plaster, wood, and paper, as well as carpets and upholstery. When water seeps into plaster, it creates a food source for the spores. Water encourages mold growth, so it's imperative to repair the source of the leak. While stain blocking primer can help, it's best to deal with the source of the problem before the damage gets worse. In some cases, the damage is so severe that patching is not enough. If you're unsure whether your plaster is contaminated with mold, consult a professional. In addition to water damage, molds can grow indoors. If a building sustains flooding, the mold spores can grow in as little as 24 hours. Another common cause is a leak in the roof. If you're unaware of the leak, you may never discover it until you notice the mold growing on the ceiling. Therefore, it's important to check the roof for any possible leaks. If you can, schedule regular inspections of your attic. Cigarette smoke If you notice that your wall has become discolored by cigarette smoke, you should start by cleaning it thoroughly. You can use a sponge and dampen it in water. Scrub the walls vigorously and use a clean cloth to wipe them dry. However, make sure you do not soak them for too long or they will end up bubbling. If you have already painted the walls, you can seal them to prevent further yellow smoke stains. After that, repaint them. To remove the cigarette smoke smell, you can use an ammonia solution. Simply squeeze the solution onto a wet sponge and scrub the wall until it is clean. If the stain is too big, you may have to apply a fresh coat of paint. If this does not work, you can try cleaning the walls with white vinegar. It will remove the smoke smell too. But you must remember that it will be a hassle to clean and repaint the walls once they have been stained. The tar and nicotine in cigarettes are absorbed by the walls and ceiling of a home. These particles then cause yellowish discoloration. The particles of smoke in smoke-filled walls cannot be hidden by light-colored objects. If the smoker smokes more than two packs a day, the walls and ceiling will also become discolored. This can have long-term negative effects on the health of a person. Water leaks You might have noticed that your walls and ceiling are turning yellow from water damage. Thankfully, it is easy to repair the problem. If you're unsure of how to do this, the first step is to find the leak and stop it. Once you have identified the source of the water leak, it's important to repair the problem before it worsens. If you can't find the leak quickly enough, your plaster may be too damaged to repair. You can easily determine the source of the water leak by looking for delaminating cracks in the plaster. These can occur on the walls or ceilings, and can run lengthwise. They can also appear as multiple cracks. If you notice any, simply remove the stained plaster and paint over it with a primer. However, if you notice more than one crack, call a professional to assess the damage. If you suspect that your plaster is turning yellow, you should first determine where the source of the leak is. Leaks that come from the roof are the most likely culprit, as they're more likely to happen during rainy weather. In order to solve the problem, you should repair the damaged parts of the roof and ceiling, as well as any affected areas. Otherwise, you can cover the stained areas with paint, or you can repair the underlying structural problems that caused the yellow stain. Oil-based paints hide imperfections The two main types of paint used for plaster walls are water-based and oil-based. Oil-based paints are often thinnerned with turpentine to increase their drying speed, but they can also be a bit more difficult to clean. To ensure a smooth finish, oil-based paints are best applied with a brush or roller specially designed for oil-based paints. They also require special cleaning agents, since water won't remove them. Oil-based paints are a good choice for plaster ceilings. They can also be used to paint wooden cabinets, shelves, and metal trim. They come in flat and glossy finishes. The latter is ideal for large areas and less suitable for small details. For plaster ceilings, you may want to consider a combination of both. If you're concerned about the appearance of your plaster ceiling, you can also opt for a water-based primer. To avoid applying water-based primer, you can use thinner acrylic paint. While acrylic paints are often used as a primer, oil-based paints are more durable and protective than water-based ones. To test if your plaster wall is ready to receive paint, you can try rubbing alcohol. Oil-based paints require an alkyd primer. To ensure a smooth surface, use trisodium phosphate as an extension of the roller. Oxidation When the plaster begins to turn yellow, this condition is due to oxidation. Plaster has traditionally been sealed with shellac, but it is now possible to use waterborne acrylics as a sealer. While you should use a sealer that does not contain shellac, these are less absorbent and will not cover up details in the plaster. You can also use acrylics that do not contain shellac, such as GOLDEN High Flow Acrylic. One of the main causes of plaster to turn yellow is overoxidation. While overoxidation is generally not dangerous, it does lead to the formation of colored species. These species are discussed below. Fortunately, there are many ways to reduce the effect of oxidation. First, you should prevent the oxidation of paint by exposing it to sunlight as often as possible. This way, you will minimize the yellowing of paintwork in the future.