As a real estate professional I deal with issues of property defects on an ongoing basis. I am not licensed as a building inspector nor do I claim to be an authority on the issue of CDW. I do, however, have an excellent network of expert professionals who are indispensable in dealing with these matters and I enlist them in serving my clients whenever necessary.
OVERVIEW:
These emissions, which have the odor of rotten eggs, worsen as temperature and humidity rise and cause copper surfaces to turn black and powdery. Items damaged by these vapor emissions include copper pipes, wiring, air conditioner coils, kitchen and household appliances, stereos, televisions, sound systems, security system, cameras, computer components, as well as silver jewelry.
As the various issues associated with Chinese drywall are a relatively recent development, the long term effects of exposure, whether in relationship to building construction or health-related problems, remain generally undetermined.
BACKGROUND:
Drywall (also known as wallboard, plasterboard, gypsum board, sheetrock, etc.) is a common building material typically made of a layer of gypsum-based plaster pressed between two thick sheets of paper, then dried in a kiln.
Foreign drywall was imported into the United States during the construction boom between 2004 and 2007. Importation was further spurred by a shortage of American-made drywall due to the rebuilding demand of nine hurricanes that hit Florida from 2004 to 2005, and widespread damage caused along the Gulf Coast by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Since January 2006 more than 550 million pounds of Chinese drywall was brought into the United States, enough to build 60,000 average-sized homes.
Foreign drywall was imported into the United States during the construction boom between 2004 and 2007. Importation was further spurred by a shortage of American-made drywall due to the rebuilding demand of nine hurricanes that hit Florida from 2004 to 2005, and widespread damage caused along the Gulf Coast by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Since January 2006 more than 550 million pounds of Chinese drywall was brought into the United States, enough to build 60,000 average-sized homes.
CAUSES:
Lab comparisons of Chinese-made and American-made drywall show significantly higher levels of pyrite in the Chinese material, suggesting that pyrite oxidation may be the source of the sulfur compounds released by Chinese drywall.
The problems have also been attributed to the use of fly ash in the drywall, which degrades in the presence of heat and moisture; although United States' drywall uses fly ash as well, the process used in U.S. manufacturing creates a cleaner final product.
According to a 2010 laboratory study, one hundred percent of affected drywall samples obtained from homes located in the southeastern United States tested positive for the presence of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans, an iron and sulfur reducing bacterium. Samples of non-contaminated drywall were found to contain only minuscule levels of T. ferrooxidans.
According to a 2010 laboratory study, one hundred percent of affected drywall samples obtained from homes located in the southeastern United States tested positive for the presence of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans, an iron and sulfur reducing bacterium. Samples of non-contaminated drywall were found to contain only minuscule levels of T. ferrooxidans.
REMEDIATION:
Since the problem of Chinese drywall was first identified, methods of remediation have ranged from removing and replacing only the defective drywall in the building to completely gutting the entire building down to the exterior shell, then treating all interior surfaces with various sealants before reinstalling all new plumbing, electrical and air conditioning systems. The present consensus is that none of these methods can be determined to be effective until sufficient time has passed without a recurrence of the damage and health problems caused by the vapor emissions of defective drywall.
