Defective Drywall in Your Home?
I very RARELY reblog. When I do, it's not for RE-BLOG points!
The blog posts are active today, and when I read this on the dashboard, it quickly got to page 3 in a short time. And because there's a lot of posting going on, this is one blog that should be a FEATURE ... IMHO!
HOW to tell if the property has DEFECTED DRYWALL (let's keep THE FACT about "where" it was manufactured out of it . . . just to be PC). Since there are NO CURRENT TEST available -- this is ABOUT PROTECTING CONSUMERS, YOURSELVES -- since no one else seems to want to do it.
The CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION has flagged this problem. And indicated that there are no tests currently available. So this blogger has given a very easy solution. If the SILVER -- and keep in mind it has to be a PURE SILVER ALLOY (not plated with silver) is a method . . . it makes sense to see if it corrosive "tell tale" signs appear.
With the recent news about defective drywall made in China, how can a homeowner detect if their home has this insidious material? According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, there is no positive test to detect this drywall. There are however, some common homeowner tests you can do to see if you have it installed throughout your home.
First, contact your builder and see if they can advise you where they purchased your drywall or if they know the brand name of the drywall they installed. If this does not yield the results you need, here are some simple checks you can perform. Since this particular drywall emits a Sulphuric smell, mostly associated with what we consider a rotten egg odor, it's a good bet you may have it. Other telltale signs are corrosion on copper coils on your a/c unit, water pipes, or electrical wiring in your outlets. There may be some obvious signs such as a blackening mold-like appearance on the surface of the drywall. Check in the attic and pull back some of the insulation. You may be able to see the name of the manufacturer on the exposed drywall. If your home has copper piping, look carefully for signs of corrosion.
According to Danny Lipford, a well known home-improvement guru on DYI, he advises there is another way to determine if you have this Chinese made product. He suggests suspending silver jewelry or kitchen utensil in front of an air vent. If the item begins to discolor, not just tarnish, in a few days, it's possible you have this drywall.
Many consumers also report adverse health effects such as respiratory difficulties, unexplained and frequent headaches.
The only know remedy, is to remove and replace all the defective drywall, a rather expensive remedy. Simply painting or papering over this drywall, will not stop it's deterioration. Always contact an expert and possibly and attorney if you suspect you have this drywall in your home.
(Delaware has not been currently identified as a state with this problem associated with this drywall.)
Comments(8)