It's estimated that over 100,000 homes and apartment units have been built using contaminated drywall imported from China. The drywall was imported due to supply shortages during the housing boom beginning in 2003. Within the past few months, there have been dozens of cases to the EPA of symtoms such as nosebleeds, headaches and respiratory problems due to sulfuric gasses released from the contaminated wallboard material within. The Chinese drywall manufacturers were mixing coal plant ash waste with the gypsum and then shipped and sold to American builders at a cheaper price. It's also estimated that more than 500 million pounds of this drywall has been installed in homes since 2003 and after hurricane Katrina.        

The picture to the right is a damaged air conditioner evaporator coil. The damaged coil was the result of the drywall giving off sulfuric gasses and corroding the copper lines. Electrical lines, devices, framing nails, and appliances begin to corrode and fail. The corrosion is not rusty, but dark like a paint or stain.   

If your home was built or remodeled 2003 and later, it may have contaminated Chinese drywall. Home builders and remodelers commonly mix brands of drywall in construction, so inspecting one wall may result inconclusive.

 

Inspection Process: Savvy Property Inspections will perform a non-destructive visual inspection of random and accessible drywall backings in search for Chinese brand logos and markings. Copper wiring and mechanical components are inspected for evidence of corrosion, and a chlorimetric test of of the indoor air is taken for traces of hydrogen sulfide. A professional report is then written for documentation. Typical Inspection fee is $195 for 2k square feet.

If the test returns positive, a recommendation for sample drywall lab tests will result.  

 

 

Informational Links:

http://www.cpsc.gov/info/drywall/index.html

http://www.insurancedisputelawyerblog.com/2009/03/louisiana_tracking_chinese_dry.html