Walls Bleeding Oil: 2 Answers (Explained)

Interior walls are responsible for keeping your home snug and pleasant, but they also work as a way to keep the cold and heat in the right balance inside your house.

With that said, it’s worth noting that they are just as susceptible to the effects of weather and temperature as external walls.

But why do walls seem to be bleeding? If you notice your walls looking stained, it could be because of the condensation build up on the inside of your wall due to the humid indoor environment. As the latex paint is diluted, the surfactant will be leached off.

Find out more about this condition, why it happens and how to correct it with this article.

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Why does it look like my walls are bleeding?

Condensation is the culprit for making it look as if your walls are bleeding.

The buildup of moisture on the inside of your walls is an inevitable byproduct of your home heating and cooling system.

Surfactant leaching will result as latex paint is diluted in the process.

Surfactants are wetting agents that are used in paints, lubricants, herbicides, stains, and cleansers.

They are added to make these products soluble and adhere wherever they are applied.

As the water evaporates from your home’s interior it leaves behind surfactants that have migrated to the surface of paint, woodwork and light switch covers etc.; making them appear oily and sticky to the touch.

This deterioration process is a natural occurrence caused by use of paints that contain volatile organic chemicals (VOC’s).

How to fix oil stains and paint leaching

Brown residue or streaks on the wall is a common problem that surfaces when you have oil based paints or stains on your walls.

There are some simple solutions to fix this discoloration and what appears like spilled oil without having to strip your walls of the paint or stain:

Avoid painting when the temperature is below 50 degrees Fahrenheit and the humidity is over 50 percent
Don’t use the shower or bath until the paint has fully dried
Install a ventilator or a fan
Use a dehumidifier