Professional
Home Inspection Service
Professional
Home Inspection Service
The home experts in Binghamton New York
Members of the American Society of Home Inspectors
by Keith Oberg
The call came from a local plumber. We have some sort of weird environmental problem,
some sort of residue on this distraught little old lady's walls. Can we meet at the house?
We stepped in the door and were treated to a half hour tale of woe, 3 1/2 years of periodic
recurrence of this dark gray stuff on the walls and ceilings. Each time one or more of various
environmental investigators, numerous heating contractors, gas company experts, painters and
chimney experts all tried to solve the problem.
They tore out all the insulation in the attic (it was upside down) and replaced it all. They
fumigated the place. They replaced the gas appliance vent connectors. They added make-up air to
the utility area. They cleaned and checked the gas fireplace and chimney. They analyzed the
residue; dust, soot, and man made fibers. They noticed that the plastic spacers on the baseboard hot
water radiators were deteriorating and since the soot was on the walls above, they took them all the
radiators apart and completely cleaned them, removing all the plastic. They even replaced the gas
boiler. Well, it was an old inefficient model any way. Each time they tried something different and
the problem went away for awhile. Things had been good for almost a year this time, but all of a
sudden it was back! The lady was at her wits end.
We finally got our chance to look around. Sure enough, sooty deposits on the walls and
ceilings above the baseboard heaters, on the windows and sills, on the curtains. The stuff was
almost greasy, sooty. And then we saw them....candles. Seven in the living room, four in the dining
room, three in the kitchen, two in the bedroom, and one in the bath. The plumber spoke first.
Ma'am, did you burn these candles for the holidays? Well, yes! They're very lovely decorative
candles. We nod our heads. Case solved. Don't burn those candles ma'am and your problems will
be over.
It only took us another half hour to convince her, reviewing all the other untried theories that
were still cluttering her mind. How could everyone else have missed this? We can't really explain
that, but experience is the key. Better to curse the darkness than light another candle.
Professional Home Inspection Service
1278 Vestal Avenue
Binghamton, New York 13903
