Tore down the outer wall in the guest room yesterday to get rid of the tretexhell and discovered that part of a beam in the ceiling is completely black, essentially. It doesn't smell like damp/mold but rather like soot/exhaust/tar. If you rub it with your finger, it turns black. If you look at the picture, you can see that it’s superficial. It could probably be scraped off. The beam doesn't feel damp at all, it's rock hard, but maybe I should check with a moisture meter?
What do I do now? Is it safe to build this back in, or should I contact a specialist?
What type of house is it, an older outbuilding that has been renovated into a guest house, an old brewhouse, an outbuilding for heating/boiling water for slaughter? Where we live now, there's just that, a room in the brewhouse where they used to burn a lot (back in the day, that is), everything is pitch black in there. Maybe it burned there once and was renovated over it.
If it's harmful to people or the house, I don't know, but if you describe it a bit more thoroughly, maybe someone else will get an idea to write...
The house is from '68, a terraced house. The chimney is approximately 4 meters from this stud. No peculiarities, just one room. The wall that was removed is an outer wall.
When a house is not sealed properly in the "wind barrier" and the wind-pressed air passes through the same spot for a few years, a layer of dirt forms because of this. You wrote outer wall, so the possibility exists. The dirt the wind has brought in has also stained the insulation, which I can tell from your picture. If it's windy outside, hold up a candle and you'll quickly see if it's a bit "draughty." If you ever get the chance, compare the dirt on the insulation in the outer wall with the insulation in an inner wall. The stud could, of course, have already been dirty from the construction period. Best regards, Hans O
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