By Roger Frost
Amidst a wave of Chinese import scares, ranging from toxic toys to tainted pet food, reports of contaminated drywall from that country have been popping up across the American Southeast. Chinese companies use unrefined "fly ash," a coal residue found in smokestacks in coal-fired power plants in their manufacturing process. Fly ash contains strontium sulfide, a toxic substance commonly found in fireworks. In hot and wet environments, this substance can offgas into hydrogen sulfide, carbon disulfide, and carbonyl sulfide and contaminate a home's air supply.
Due to this problem's recent nature, there are currently no government or industry standards for inspecting contaminated drywall in homes. Professionals who have handled contaminated drywall in the past may know how to inspect for sulfur compounds but there are no agencies that offer certification in this form of inspection. Some of the quick items to look for area: Was your home built or did you have new drywall installed between 2001-2008? Do you notice a certain smell or odor when first entering your home, especially when not running the A/C? Does this smell dissipate soon after you've been in the home? (It doesn't always have a smell, especially in partially tainted homes). Have you had A/C problems? Have you replaced your evaporator coils? Have you noticed your faucets corroding or do they have black spots that are hard to remove? Have you noticed blackened copper on refrigeration lines, wiring, plumbing or gas lines?
The bulk of these incidents have been reported in Florida and other southern states, likely due to the high levels of heat and humidity in that region. Most of the affected homes were built during the housing boom between 2004 and 2007, especially in the wake of Hurricane Katrina when domestic building materials were in short supply. An estimated 250,000 tons of drywall were imported from China during that time period because it was cheap and plentiful. This material was used in the construction of approximately 100,000 homes in the United States, and many believe this has lead to serious health and property damage.
apply to all homeowners whose drywall was supplied by Banner regardless of the brand of drywall in their home. This is very significant news as this is the first settlement that includes homeowners with Taishan drywall.
Homeowners l are getting a break on their property taxes, however, because of the tainted drywall. A law in effect until 2017 says, "if the building cannot be used for its intended purpose without remediation or repair, the Property Appraiser must assess the value of the building at $0. Some of the analyzed the list of exemptions for Lee, Collier and Charlotte Counties to see where all the drywall exemptions are and just how big the problems is. In Lee Cou
The bulk of these incidents have been reported in Florida and other southern states, likely due to the high levels of heat and humidity in that region. Most of the affected homes were built during the housing boom between 2004 and 2007, especially in the wake of Hurricane Katrina when domestic building materials were in short supply. An estimated 250,000 tons of drywall were imported from China during that time period because it was cheap and plentiful. This material was used in the construction of approximately 100,000 homes in the United States, and many believe this has lead to serious health and property damage.
apply to all homeowners whose drywall was supplied by Banner regardless of the brand of drywall in their home. This is very significant news as this is the first settlement that includes homeowners with Taishan drywall.
Homeowners l are getting a break on their property taxes, however, because of the tainted drywall. A law in effect until 2017 says, "if the building cannot be used for its intended purpose without remediation or repair, the Property Appraiser must assess the value of the building at $0. Some of the analyzed the list of exemptions for Lee, Collier and Charlotte Counties to see where all the drywall exemptions are and just how big the problems is. In Lee Cou
apply to all homeowners whose drywall was supplied by Banner regardless of the brand of drywall in their home. This is very significant news as this is the first settlement that includes homeowners with Taishan drywall.
Homeowners l are getting a break on their property taxes, however, because of the tainted drywall. A law in effect until 2017 says, "if the building cannot be used for its intended purpose without remediation or repair, the Property Appraiser must assess the value of the building at $0. Some of the analyzed the list of exemptions for Lee, Collier and Charlotte Counties to see where all the drywall exemptions are and just how big the problems is. In Lee County, 1,229 single family homes and condominiums have the exemptions. Many are spread out, but fourteen neighborhoods are clusters of more than a dozen.
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.
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Homeowners l are getting a break on their property taxes, however, because of the tainted drywall. A law in effect until 2017 says, "if the building cannot be used for its intended purpose without remediation or repair, the Property Appraiser must assess the value of the building at $0. Some of the analyzed the list of exemptions for Lee, Collier and Charlotte Counties to see where all the drywall exemptions are and just how big the problems is. In Lee County, 1,229 single family homes and condominiums have the exemptions. Many are spread out, but fourteen neighborhoods are clusters of more than a dozen.
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.
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Want to find out more about The Barrie Home Inspector, then visit Roger Frost's site on how to choose the best Barrie Thermal Imaging Home Inspector for your moisture or heat loss needs.