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  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Washington State
    Posts
    376

    Default What causes this?

    Black @ Bird Vent.jpg

    House is only two years old, I suspect it's on the north side of the house and possibly related to a bit of heat loss? Is it a form of mold or just crud?

    Thanks Everybody -
    Jim

    Crawl Space Creeper

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Bennett (Denver metro), Colorado
    Posts
    1,461

    Default Re: What causes this?

    Hard to tell scale or context in your photo. A three holer in the out house?

    But seriously folks, can you give us a little more info?

    If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Caledon, Ontario
    Posts
    4,982

    Default Re: What causes this?

    Lon

    I believe its a soffit vent with some sort of algae growth.


  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    rockport texas
    Posts
    132

    Default Re: What causes this?

    Looks like soffit vents that are not working properly. They appear to be working as an exhaust vent as opposed to intake vents. Warm air is flowing out and causing condensation to form on the soffit material. My bet is that the attic ventilation is not properly balanced/working.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Looks like soffit vents that are not working properly. They appear to be working as an exhaust vent as opposed to intake vents. Warm air is flowing out and causing condensation to form on the soffit material. My bet is that the attic ventilation is not properly balanced/working.


  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Charlotte NC
    Posts
    2,304

    Default Re: What causes this?

    My guess is, that was a piece of scrap that had been laying in the wet dirt and used as blocking. Painters slapped a coat of paint on and not long after the crud came through.

    The beatings will continue until morale has improved. mgt.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Fletcher, NC
    Posts
    28,032

    Default Re: What causes this?

    Quote Originally Posted by stanley frost View Post
    Looks like soffit vents that are not working properly. They appear to be working as an exhaust vent as opposed to intake vents. Warm air is flowing out and causing condensation to form on the soffit material. My bet is that the attic ventilation is not properly balanced/working.
    Soffit vents, when only soffit vents are installed, as is the case in many Florida houses, especially in South Florida where high wind events would blow ridge vents off, function as both intake and exhaust for the attic ventilation ... the function of intake or exhaust depends on which way the wind is blowing and which side of the roof has high pressure (intake) and which side has low pressure (exhaust/discharge).

    With ridge vents or off ridge vents, the soffit vents are primarily intended to serve as intakes for the attic ventilation in that the air enters the soffit vents at the eaves and exits the ridge/off ridge vents higher up.

    Jerry Peck
    Construction/Litigation/Code Consultant - Retired
    www.AskCodeMan.com

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Bennett (Denver metro), Colorado
    Posts
    1,461

    Default Re: What causes this?

    Quote Originally Posted by Raymond Wand View Post
    Lon

    I believe its a soffit vent with some sort of algae growth.
    Rarely see that here. My guess is some sort of crud not associated with its current location. If humid air was exiting those vents to promote mold, I would expect to see mold on the soffit above them.

    If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    No. San Diego Co., CA
    Posts
    562

    Default Re: What causes this?

    Damp/ wet wood painted over with latex paint. Seen that kind of thing many times while house painting. If just around one hole, access egress for insects (wasps, bees etc) or rodents. Wipe off, prime/seal and reapply top coat.


  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Southern Vancouver Island
    Posts
    4,607

    Default Re: What causes this?

    If it's only in the one rafter bay, which the one pic doesn't tell us BTW , my guess is, what Raymond said, there is an exhaust vent pipe shoved into the soffit.

    And yes, in the Pacific NW, warm moist air promotes that kind of algae or mould to grow.

    I have a pic of one of those holes that has a dirt smear around it. That was definitely a rat hole. They were clawing their way right up the side of the house, 10 feet to the hole.

    John Kogel, RHI, BC HI Lic #47455
    www.allsafehome.ca

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