When the issue of Chinese drywall first became a concern, it was believed to be a regional issue and located primarily in South Florida. Since that time, investigations by independent organizations have confirmed Chinese drywall in 37 states and Puerto Rico (Florida Department of Health and US Consumer Product Safety Commission January 11, 2010). It is confirmed as far west as California, Nevada and Arizona, throughout the southeastern states and north along the eastern seaboard as far as Maine. The Gypsum Association has reported over 300 million square feet of drywall was imported from China and the Census Bureau has reported it as 479 million pounds.

As this issue continues to get bigger, more data is being discovered and released. Additional data being released is in connection with identification of suspect “Chinese drywall”, we already knew of odors and some resident complaints of health effects (not confirmed at this time) but one of the newer markers appears to be the color of the boards themselves. A general consensus is that the imported drywall appears gray in color, especially when visibly compared side by side with U.S. manufactured drywall board.

It has been reported and we’ve observed that the compounds affect the air conditioning coils after just short term exposure; this may be due to the contaminated air moving across the coil and the gaseous compounds combining with the moisture to create an aggressive corrosive compound. At this time nothing is conclusive, however in our investigations and observations corrosion is affecting many other things within the home. Appliances and household electronics (i.e. computers, TV’s, stereo equipment and game consuls) have been reported as failing and the blackening of copper connections in panels and outlet boxes has been observed. In addition to these items, we have observed exposed electrical wiring, at the breaker panel and copper in outlet boxes with the black corrosion, copper water lines and metal plumbing fixtures are pitting and discoloring and it is reasonable to presume that lighting fixtures and metal décor will soon follow. Sterling silver picture frames, sterling silverware and sterling serving dishes also turn black in short periods of time.

This is an on-going issue that we feel will continue to grow as the breath of the amount of the drywall installed in buildings is discovered. There are no stated health risks by any cognizant health authority at this time however there are antidotal stories of eye and respiratory irritation and breathing difficulties. Because health risks either short term or long term at this point have not been identified, individuals having difficulty living in these environments should contact their doctor for medical advice.

Even without a direct health risk, the corrosion the drywall is causing could lead to additional issues that may pose a risk. Refrigerant gas leaking into the home, pinhole leaks in water lines going undetected could promote mold growth within the wall cavities and if the corrosion continues on the electrical wiring, there could be a risk of shock or fire from corroded electrical wiring. At this time the only proven solution is source removal, which is inconvenient and expensive to all parties.

We continue to be diligent in our research and use the latest technology in testing for Chinese drywall such as the  Niton XRF Analyzer instrument.

Want to know more? Contact us at 561.744.1384