Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Chinesedrywall Inspections
We are one of the first Home Inspection Companies in the country to offer Chinese Drywall Inspections. With us its not a side job (like most other inspectors), its our ONLY job. And we do it for HALF the PRICE of our competitors.....
Sunday, November 13, 2011
CHINESE DRYWALL FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Who Is Affected by Chinese Drywall?
Most affected homes to date are in the Southeast and Eastern U.S., in states such as Florida, Virginia, Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi to name just a few, but anyone who has had this product installed in their home can be affected.
More than 340,000 homeowners from more than 37 states have reported various Chinese drywall problems, and the list continues to grow. The Chinese drywall first began arriving in the U.S. in 2001 and was banned in 2009, so if your construction/ renovation occurred before or after those years, you're probably safe.
What Are the Symptoms of Chinese Drywall?
People with asthma may find their symptoms magnified, and children and the elderly are also particularly vulnerable.
You also may notice an odor of sulfur, similar to that of striking a match, throughout the home; however, the odor is not always present, and even when it is, residents may become immune to it via the phenomenon known as "olfactory fatigue."
What Can Be Done About Chinese Drywall?
Most affected homes to date are in the Southeast and Eastern U.S., in states such as Florida, Virginia, Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi to name just a few, but anyone who has had this product installed in their home can be affected.More than 340,000 homeowners from more than 37 states have reported various Chinese drywall problems, and the list continues to grow. The Chinese drywall first began arriving in the U.S. in 2001 and was banned in 2009, so if your construction/ renovation occurred before or after those years, you're probably safe.
What Are the Symptoms of Chinese Drywall?
The physical symptoms of Chinese drywall to watch for are similar to allergy, sinus-infection and cold/respiratory ailments, such as itchy, watery eyes, nasal and chest congestion, headaches, and even bloody noses.
People with asthma may find their symptoms magnified, and children and the elderly are also particularly vulnerable. In the home, be alert to frequent malfunctions of appliances, devices and wiring - anything that contains metal - minor or major, from electric light switches to refrigerators and air conditioners, and so on. Also check for visible marks (darkening, tarnishing, pitting) on the exposed metal surfaces in your home.
You also may notice an odor of sulfur, similar to that of striking a match, throughout the home; however, the odor is not always present, and even when it is, residents may become immune to it via the phenomenon known as "olfactory fatigue."
What Can Be Done About Chinese Drywall?
If you suspect your home contains Chinese drywall, have it inspected by a qualified professional. We offer Chinese drywall inspections and also offer Chinese drywall solutions if needed. In any case, an inspection can either confirm your suspicions or set your mind at ease.
Where did this drywall come from?
Where did this drywall come from?
The drywall is from a German-based company, Knauf Tianjin, which has subsidiaries in China. These subsidiaries manufactured the drywall from waste materials found on scrubbers within coal-fired power plants.
How did it get into so many homes?
How did it get into so many homes?
From 2004 through 2006, after hurricane Katrina and other storms, the strain on the supply of American-made drywall required many builders to resort to international suppliers in order to fill demand. As a result, many distributors imported from the Knauf Tianjin company. It is alleged that this issue effects more than 200,000 sheets of drywall used to make homes between 2004 and 2006.
So, why the rotten-egg smell?
So, why the rotten-egg smell?
The waste materials used by Knauf Tianjin to make the drywall appear to contain iron sulfide (FeS2 pyrite), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), carbonyl sulfide, sulfur dioxide (SO2), and carbon disulfide (CS2).Many believe that humidity causes the sulfur in the drywall to give off gas, which creates the noxious odor—but that’s not all—the sulfur corrodes copper as well.
Why is this drywall a problem?
Why is this drywall a problem?
Besides the horrible odor, Sulfur corrodes copper and is often evident by the copper blackening and flaking off. This drastically reduces the functional life expectancy of any copper building material, such as evaporator coils and tubing, which can ultimately cause an air conditioner to fail. Chinese drywall may also corrode copper plumbing, copper electrical wiring, and copper water lines. Metals such as chrome, brass and silver may also be affected. In homes with Chinese drywall, bathroom and kitchen faucets and drains are typically tarnished.
What is being done about the problem?
If you have any questions or would like a FREE phone consultation, Contact the Chinese Drywall Info hotline 239-542-3000
What is being done about the problem?
The building industry is being hit by a number of lawsuits--especially in Florida, where seven of the affected ports were located. A class action lawsuit has been filed against the makers, exporters and suppliers of Chinese drywall products that have been found to emit noxious odors, damage air conditioners, as well as other systems, and potentially lead to health problems. Health officials say that a definitive connection between the Chinese drywall and health problems has not been made, though over 50 complaints have been made to the Florida health department thus far.
If you have any questions or would like a FREE phone consultation, Contact the Chinese Drywall Info hotline 239-542-3000
CHINESE DRYWALL PROBLEMS/ SYMPTOMS
Problems
Dealing with Chinese drywall problems can feel overwhelming, and many homeowners end up worrying about what can be done before the health trouble starts. Lawsuits and accountability issues aside, a homeowner's primary concern when they suspect tainted drywall should always be keeping their family safe and healthy and minimizing damage.
Chinese drywall problems can manifest in your home in a number of ways. Many owners with toxic Chinese drywall report a rotten egg smell and headaches, as well as throat issues and sinus trouble.
Homeowners with Chinese drywall may start to notice corrosion throughout their home, especially anything with electric wiring made of copper. Frequently your home's heating and air conditioning systems will need to be repaired as well, and any copper piping or wiring within the house should be checked to make sure it will remain functional and safe for your family. Any home owner experiencing these symptoms should consider getting their drywall inspected immediately.
Symptoms
Unfortunately, after it was installed, homeowners began to be affected by a host of physical ailments. Health-related Chinese drywall symptoms include a host of respiratory ailments, such as stuffy or runny noses,sinus headaches, nose bleeds and inflammation, breathing problems and increased severity of asthma, as well as irritated, itchy skin and watery, itchy eyes.
They also noticed unusual corrosion and breakdown of appliances, pipes and wiring in their homes. Even non-appliances such as jewelry, metal picture frames, copper teapots and other decorative items were becoming inexplicably marred, pitted and discolored.
You may also notice an odor of sulfur in the interior air which may come and go; sometimes this odor is noticeable only to more sensitive individuals, and/or to guests who enter the building infrequently.
Dealing with Chinese drywall problems can feel overwhelming, and many homeowners end up worrying about what can be done before the health trouble starts. Lawsuits and accountability issues aside, a homeowner's primary concern when they suspect tainted drywall should always be keeping their family safe and healthy and minimizing damage.
Chinese drywall problems can manifest in your home in a number of ways. Many owners with toxic Chinese drywall report a rotten egg smell and headaches, as well as throat issues and sinus trouble.
Homeowners with Chinese drywall may start to notice corrosion throughout their home, especially anything with electric wiring made of copper. Frequently your home's heating and air conditioning systems will need to be repaired as well, and any copper piping or wiring within the house should be checked to make sure it will remain functional and safe for your family. Any home owner experiencing these symptoms should consider getting their drywall inspected immediately.
Symptoms
Unfortunately, after it was installed, homeowners began to be affected by a host of physical ailments. Health-related Chinese drywall symptoms include a host of respiratory ailments, such as stuffy or runny noses,sinus headaches, nose bleeds and inflammation, breathing problems and increased severity of asthma, as well as irritated, itchy skin and watery, itchy eyes.
They also noticed unusual corrosion and breakdown of appliances, pipes and wiring in their homes. Even non-appliances such as jewelry, metal picture frames, copper teapots and other decorative items were becoming inexplicably marred, pitted and discolored.
You may also notice an odor of sulfur in the interior air which may come and go; sometimes this odor is noticeable only to more sensitive individuals, and/or to guests who enter the building infrequently.
Property-related symptoms associated with Chinese drywall problems, which occur as the hydrogen sulfide vapors come into contact with metals, include both visual and operational clues. Visually, silver, copper and other metals may tarnish and blacken; this includes personal metals such as jewelry and decor, as well as functional metals such as faucets, pipes and drains, wiring, and HVAC components and coils.
As the metals in the functional units continue to deteriorate, the appliances that house then start malfunctioning, often repeatedly, even after you've replaced parts or entire units.
Circuit breakers and switches may continually act up, refrigerators and air conditioners may often go on the fritz, the furnace and water heater may break down, electronics may repeatedly fail,..... the list is virtually endless, since so many interior items contain metal and are vulnerable to the "attack of the Chinese drywall."
If you have any questions or would like a FREE phone consultation, Contact the Chinese Drywall Info hotline 239-542-3000
WHAT IS CHINESE DRYWALL?
By now many Florida residents are aware of the Chinese drywall issues that have plagued homeowners over the past decade, but here's a recap. From 2001 through 2009, toxic Chinese Chinese Drywall was imported to the U.S.A. from China and installed in homes and businesses nationwide.
Toxic Chinese Drywall came to Florida from China during the real estate boom. It has also been found in 48 states, but ground zero seems to be South West Florida. Chinese drywall is chemically defective plasterboard (also called Chinese sheetrock or gypsum board) that was imported from China to U.S.A. builders and subcontractors, most of it between the years 2003 through 2008. It is important to point out that home owners with recently built or remodeled homes/ condominiums may be living with toxic fumes and dangerous chemicals being released from their drywall. Getting your drywall tested is an important first step. And can be vital to keeping your family healthy and comfortable in your home.
If your home was built or remodeled in the past decade, particularly between the years 2003 to 2008, you may be a victim of the Chinese drywall debacle that has affected an estimated 400,000 - 600,000 consumers to date and growing !
The catalyst for this was primarily the real estate boom and the Hurricanes of 2004-2005 in the Southeastern U.S.A., which created a shortage of domestically produced drywall for construction and reconstruction. To fill the need, drywall was imported from China, and at the time, there was no reason to suspect any inherent danger in this product.
The Chinese manufacturers of these walls, whether through negligence or deliberate cost-cutting practices, produced inferior plasterboard that was found to emit sulfuric compounds throughout the buildings in which they were installed. These sulfuric gases move insidiously and invisibly throughout each building's interior, damaging the structural integrity of metals within the home and adversely affecting the health of people and pets as well.
Upon extensive Chinese drywall testing by Chinese Drywall Specialist, the U.S. government and other entities, it was determined that these maladies were caused by corrosive levels of hydrogen sulfide emitted from the drywall.
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