Odd brown liquid sac on bathroom wall
Hello! I really need input of what I found on my bathroom wall this morning. I can’t find anything identical online. I have been in this apartment since December. I have yellow streaks on my bathroom door, with no ventilation, besides fan. For some reason I have like fruit flies in my bathroom? I sprayed the spot with a chemical cleaner and black small dots fell out. There is a lot of condensation in my bathroom, but I also have a lot of creepy crawlers in my place. I do not smoke cigarettes, and this building is fairly new. I am not sure the type of paint, but this looks like a sac to me? I really need help discovering what this odd gross thing was. It was wet and liquid. My place is kept in great condition and I live in Alaska, and have for 28 years. This is the first time I have ever seen this.
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This tar/nicotine comes out when the humidity drops (i.e., winter) and then you take a hot shower, at least it does for us. you wipe it off with a wet paper towel as it appears, it will stop leaching out, and you will be done, then putting multiple coats of Kilz Max primer on it. Not just the regular Kilz, use Kilz Max. It's specifically engineered to seal in smoke damage.
Thank you. I have read tar residue caused by cigarette smoking. I don't know how nor why I would have tar residue in a renovated newly building, and smoking in apartments in Alaska is not allowed/not the culture. If it was an older building, then I would lean that way. Did you ever have a liquid oozing sac on your wall where micro black dots fell out? It was slimey and wet. Thank you for your time and input! This is helping.
If there is a fan, run it when you use the bathroom and for a good half hour after at least.
It would be good if you can verify that the fan blows air out of the building.
If the creepy crawlers are too much, and your landlord can not/will not get rid of them, probably time to look for a new place.
I am stuck in in a lease. Spiders, Beatles, and fruit flies are normal here. However, I have never bought produce that brings fruit flies in. I started leaving my fan on for awhile after my shower before this. I will also put a high velocity fan in? I just don't believe this was caused by tar since this is a new building, has no cigarette smoke, and smoking cigarettes in your place isn't a norm in Alaska. What could have been the micro black dots that fell out when I sprayed it with chemicals. Thank you very much! I will make a maintenance report of the humidity damage, to protect myself when I move out. That was great advice on finding out if the air blows in or out. I assumed all fans operated the same way. Thank you.
Will you look at my new picture. I found this in my drain.
A. Exhaust fan should be ON when showering and then for 20+ mins afterwards.
B. Gap under bathroom door should be at least 3/4". I prefer 1". This allows for replacement air so the fan can draw out the humidity. If replacement air is impeded, airspeed slows, condensation develops inside duct and whatever soluble material that is on the inside of the duct will drip out. If gap is < 3/4", keep bathroom door ajar while showering.
C. Shampoos and conditioners have coloring in them. The color is soluble and is carried around in the humidity. It will appear as ceiling condensation and drip down on walls if there is enough humidity.
D. Those black bugs come from the drain. Clean out your traps completely and even pour some drain cleaner in the drain to address any bugs downstream.
Another consideration:
Most exhaust fans and outlets have a backdraft flapper to prevent (minimize) outside air (and critters) from coming in thru the duct. In my 33 year old bathroom, the flapper on the outlet had corroded in the open position and there was no flapper on the fan housing. Kinda explained why it got so damned cold in the bathroom overnight when the thermostat clicked into its low overnight setting.
You might check for those features.
Also:
The duct should slope down to the exterior so that any condensation flows out. Easy to do for rigid metal ducts, but not so easy for the cheap, flexible polyethylene ducts often used by some builders.