Candles, Yes...Soot, No

If you’ve noticed ghostly smudges and stains on your walls and ceilings, the culprit may be something you’d never suspect: candles you burn indoors.

Most candles produce soot, which can create stains on walls and ceilings. Just a few candles burned in a brand new home can leave soot deposits on surfaces.

The soot is easily suspended in the air. It deposits as a gray stain wherever air changes direction, like on horizontal surfaces, at picture frames, or under doors. Soot also deposits wherever the air slows because of cooling: at framing (where there is less insulation to the outdoors) and, in general, anywhere on exterior walls and ceilings. The result is ghostly stains outlining framing and fasteners.