Ghosting issue on walls

[Blanchard143]

Hello!

First time homeowner here Had our home for a little under a year now. Atlanta area.

When we first moved in there was a fresh coat of paint on the entire interior of the house. Looked great. After a couple months my wife and I started to notice what looked like water stains running down the walls, although the paint was completely dry. It's especially prevalent around certain wall sockets and switches... looks terrible.

I called the guy who did our home inspection and he basically said not to worry about it and that we can just paint over it, but I'm not convinced. The dripping appearance makes me nervous about moisture and mold on the interior of the walls. I did try painting certain sections but it continues to show through after a little time.

After some Google searches, we came across the term "ghosting" but most of what I found online showed dark areas around wall studs or something to do with the structure of the house... not so much a dripping / watery appearance.

Attached are two examples- one under a socket and one under a bedroom window.

What sort of company would I even call to take a look at this? Any suggestions much appreciated, thank you!

David

 

[Snoonyb]

This may have happened in the construction process and before the house was completely dried in, which may explain why it appears as water damage, however if you are concerned about water damage being the probability, painters, "generally", carry moisture meters.

Before you simply paint over, prime the areas with an oil based transitional primer.

 

[joecaption]

That for sure is a moisture issue, please post some pictures of the outside in that area.

 

[ITypiRTh]

I saw similar in my old house - painted over and forgot

 

[Steve123]

...... a fresh coat of paint .....

I really don't know what to make of those marks, but if you only put down one coat, I have never found that to be sufficient for good coverage. Even when using the best paints. Cheap paint will have less solids and not cover as well.

 

[Blanchard143]

Thank you for the replies!

I've found a good oil-based primer, so I'll start with that, and will try to post a picture of the outside when weather permits.

As per @Snoonyb, if I pick up one of these from Home Depot would that be good enough to determine whether there is mold, rot, or anything else on the inside? So a low reading would mean nothing to worry about, but a high reading would indicate a moisture problem?