13650 Fiddlesticks Blvd., Ste 202-399
Fort Myers, Florida 33912
239-481-3977 or Russell@BestInspector.com
Serving ALL of SW Florida
“Chinese” Drywall Update
As a leader in inspections, radon, and mold testing and wanting to keep you better informed, I have been attending conferences’ concerning “Chinese” drywall. The sad thing is, the more this goes on, and it appears the less we know. The following is information obtained by leading health professionals, attorneys, professional laboratories and the state of Florida. With that being said, it appears that this drywall maybe from other areas as well as China. Some are now trying to change the name to IMPORTED drywall, because all of this drywall may not have come from JUST China.
The leading lab for testing this is EMSL and they have tests that can run into thousands of dollars and numerous days to confirm that the sample you sent to them contains Chinese Drywall. This does not mean YOU DO NOT HAVE CHINESE DRYWALL. It means that the particular sample sent to them is NOT Chinese Drywall and we are finding out that many houses have partial Chinese Drywall installed.
So, in other words, the east wall may contain Chinese Drywall, but the west wall didn’t. So what happens if you take your sample from the west wall? It will come out negative for Chinese Drywall when actually a part of the house contains it and gives you a false sense of security.
It was thought to be about 50,000 houses constructed from 2004 to 2006. They now say it has affected more than 250,000 homes and they are finding it in houses that were built in 2003 to the present.
Please be aware that according to the Florida Attorney General’s office there is no local TESTING that can tell you whether or not you have Chinese Drywall, and there is NO CURE at the present time. Do not fall for Ozone generators, sprays, and test kits. The best and most cost effective way is by visual means. Having a professional LOOK at the situation and then make a determination is still the best way to determine the presence of Chinese Drywall.
What we have learned is that Humidity amplifies the symptoms such as smell, corrosion and pitting of the copper lines etc…So a vacant house that has no power or the thermostat is set higher will have more of a smell and reaction to the copper than a house that has been lived in and the temperature is set lower.
The long-term effects to property and health cannot be determined at the present time.
In short, the best way to determine if a house contains Chinese Drywall is the visual means. The cure is “No one knows” they say that entire removal of the defective product may not be enough and residual compounds may be in the studs, block and roof sheathing. I wish I had more to report, but those selling “test” kits and other materials are plain and simple wrong and should be reported to the Florida Attorney General’s office.
If you have any questions please email us at Russell@BestInspector.com or call us at 239-481-3977. As always we do not charge an additional fee for this inspection when you purchase a full Home Inspection. We view this as taking care of those who are taking care of us.
Russell J. Hensel
President
Comprehensive Building Consultants and Home Watch
Certified Master Inspector
IAQA Board Certified Indoor Environmentalist
ESA Master Indoor Environmental Specialist
In today’s market choose a Realtor who is up to date on issues like this that could drastically affect your enjoyment of your new home and your financial investment. We pride ourselves in only recommending the best professionals to our clients.
Please call me at 239-776-5077 to discuss what services I offer to my buyer clients.
