It is estimated that between 2004 and 2007, up to 500 million pounds of potentially defective drywall was brought into America from China. This Chinese drywall can negatively impact your home in a number of ways. Some of the signs that there is defective Chinese drywall in your home include a strong smell of sulfur – often likened to rotten eggs or burnt matches. Those individuals who have this drywall in their homes often report very frequent headaches and often copper wiring corrodes. One common complaint is failure of air conditioning units, because the emissions caused by the drywall leads to corrosion of the copper coils inside the units. Other individuals have reported that their silver jewelry has tarnished, or that metal components or exposed wiring in household appliances has failed.
Reports of defective Chinese drywall have been registered in 23 different states, although 75% are from Florida alone. If you suspect that your home may have been affected by this drywall then it is important to call in a professional to perform drywall testing. The testing process will usually comprise of two steps – Air Quality Testing and Removal!
The testing phase determines whether or not there is elemental sulfur present in your home as this will identify whether or not there is a problem with your drywall. This air testing may even pick up other contaminants you were not aware of. If the indoor air in your home does test positive then it is recommended by both the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that it is removed as soon as possible.
The long term health effects are not yet known but, in my opinion it is much better to be safe than sorry when it comes to your health and the health of your family. Along with headaches, some of the symptoms reported include a persistent cough, itchy skin and eye irritation.
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