Do it yourself drywall test
kit.
DIY CHINESE DRYWALL TEST KIT
Drywall Inspection call 561 313 5800
It has been reported that drywall imported between 2004-2006 from certain areas in China, can release sulfur-like odorous compounds. These compounds can corrode air conditioning coils and other copper-bearing materials, causing them to be replaced repeatedly. Chemical analysis suggests that the problem is possibly related to presence of iron disulfide (FeS2 pyrite), Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), carbonyl sulfide, sulfur dioxide (SO2), and carbon disulfide (CS2) are also suspected as culprits. There have been reports that large quantities of drywall produced in China were kept on sea barges for months awaiting permission for importation to the USA. This drywall has a higher than typical density and a higher propensity to off-gas sulfur compounds.
Drywall is usually made of
gypsum (hydrated calcium sulfate). Therefore, sulfur is one of
the
main components present in the sample. All drywall has sulfur
in its elemental composition; therefore the odor is not explained
by an analysis of the total sulfur content.
The extent of the indoor air quality issues related to this is still unclear. EPA is currently investigating the severity of the problem. However, it is well known that exposure to sulfur compounds can create irritation and breathing disorders.
Affected Drywall Symptoms:
• Sulfur or rotten egg smell
• AC copper lines corroding
• AC evaporator coils corroding
• Plumbing pipes corroding
• Refrigerator lines corroding
• Corroding electrical components and wiring
• Chinese labeled drywall
• Irritations, headaches or respiratory problems
Type of properties that may be affected:
• Properties built after 2004
• Properties that were remodeled after 2004
• Properties that were rebuilt or repaired after
Hurricanes Katrina and/ or Wilma
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Builder guts homes with Chinese drywall Their homes tested positive for Chinese drywall. Now, a bailout for an entire Vero Beach neighborhood. The builder is stepping-up and gutting homes. Tamara Malash is getting ready to move, but not by choice, "As you can imagine it was quite a surprise to find out we had it." "It" being Chinese drywall is causing problems with everything from homeowner's health to damaged appliances. Down the street, the Hanwells are packing up too. In fact, more than a dozen homeowners are vacating Coverty Place in Vero Beach. Fred Hanwell says, "The wiring is still turning black. The plumbing is black. The air conditioning coils, everything is black." The process for many, like Fred Hanwell, began only two months ago. He received a letter from Lennar Homes. Neighbors tell us, the builder informed them their homes could have Chinese drywall. When many tested positive, with small amounts, a decision was made. Hanwell says, "Gut the house. Down to the studs. Taking out all the wiring, plumbing, ac units, duct work and then rebuild it." Hanwell says he was told Lennar will now pay more than $100,000 dollars per home. New appliances, new construction, and rentals for everyone for four to six months. Tamara Malash says, "We are beyond happy that we have a builder who is sticking around to help us." The Malash's and Hanwell's say they never felt sick from the drywall, but are glad their homes will be saved. Neighbors say movers are coming this week. We tried to reach Lennar
Homes, but received no response on why they are doing this. Neighbor
tell us they were told it's so that Lennar Homes can re-coup
their losses and go after the manufacturer.
Senator calls for resignation over drywall problems Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., wants the country’s top consumer advocate fired for not moving more quickly to protect homeowners from a defective product. “I believe we have a serious problem with the Consumer Product Safety Commission,” Nelson, a member of a Senate panel that oversees consumer affairs, said in a letter to President Barack Obama. “The agency is doing too little, too late to help residents of Florida and other states who are reporting serious health and safety problems associated with living in homes built with tainted drywall.” Crist seeks Chinese drywall health probe Gov. Charlie Crist is seeking federal help with growing concerns over the health effects of high-sulfur Chinese drywall used in homes throughout Florida, calling on both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to step in. In a letter sent Friday
to both the EPA and the CDC, Crist asks both agencies to dispatch
an environmental response team, as well as industrial hygienists
from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry to
help inspect homes and evaluate possible health hazards from
the reported corrosive gasses being emitted from Chinese drywall,
the moniker given to the defective drywall that is believed to
have been imported from Asia during the housing boom. “The health hazards posed by exposure to chemicals in these homes are currently unclear, but we believe that a thorough and robust exposure assessment will enable [the Florida Department of Health] to determine if a health advisory is warranted,” Crist said. The Department of Health’s state toxicologist and indoor air programs coordinator performed a preliminary assessment of 12 homes in South Florida in January, finding that the drywall in those homes contained strontium sulfide and elemental sulfur. Further tests determined that high relative humidity or heat produced hydrogen sulfide, carbonyl sulfide and carbon disulfide in what had been determined to be defective drywall, all of which can cause copper corrosion in homes and possibly pose a health hazard, Crist said. Through mid-March, all of the drywall problems were coming from Florida, making it a state issue. But, since then, complaints have been received from Louisiana, Virginia and North Carolina, the governor said, opening the door for a federal investigation. Crist was prompted to reach out to the EPA and CDC after receiving a letter from U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Delray Beach, sharing more details about the defective drywall on Thursday. At least two class action
lawsuits have been filed against foreign drywall manufacturers,
including the Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin, which manufactured
drywall from a pair of China plants during the housing boom.
Knauf Tianjin has acknowledged the drywall is defective but says
there is no indication it causes health problems, claiming its
toxicologists could find no link between copper corrosion and
health problems in homes and the 67.3 million square feet of
drywall it exported to the southeastern U.S., beginning in 2006. Senators seek ban on Chinese-made drywall Two U.S. senators are seeking an interim ban on certain Chinese-made drywall and a federal class-action lawsuit has been filed against a Chinese drywall maker. |
Tainted Chinese drywall shows up in Katrina homes
Senators Seek Interim Ban on Chinese Drywall |
Do it yourself drywall test
kit.
DIY CHINESE DRYWALL TEST KIT
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One of the challenges in identifying Chinese drywall is that it
entered the United States without being properly marked. Untrained
trained experts can have difficulties interpreting the variety
of improper markings on imported drywall. As a result it can be
difficult to identify. With the exception that Chinese drywall
off-gasses sulfur compounds it can often appear to be just like
any other drywall. Hydrogen Sulfide and the acidic compounds are
the corrosive components found to off- gas from Chinese drywall
that cause metal components to deteriorate and purported to be
associated with health problems in high concentrations.
PHONE: (941) 761-8503 EMAIL: anthony@inspectorsinc.com
MORE INFORMATION
While it is possible to detect the presence of hydrogen sulfide,
consistently detecting H2S at varying levels appears to be illusive
and has left some of the best Industrial Hygienists and scientists
scratching their heads. The test kits' ability to indicate in
the presence of H2S at low levels appears to be inconclusive.
It is currently unknown why some Chinese drywall will off-gas
hydrogen sulfide at a greater rate than others. Suspect variables
include temperature and humidity levels present at the time of
sampling as well as the varying levels of sulfides present in
Chinese drywall from different manufacturing plants.
Recently, several homes we have inspected for the presence of Chinese drywall were found to contain both domestic and imported Chinese drywall in the same home. Therefore, if a home owner or inspector unknowingly takes samples to be tested from the domestic drywall boards in the home, the results could provide a false negative. Despite the growing belief that off-gassing sulfides from Chinese drywall will cross contaminate (leach into) porous building components such as wood studs, domestic drywall and cabinetry, we found that the residual sulfide markers were not sufficient to be detected using the DIY-Test kit.
It is for these reasons we no longer believe testing for the presence of hydrogen sulfide alone is an affective method of detecting Chinese drywall. As a result we will no longer provide the DIY-Test Kits as a method of detecting Chinese drywall. We will however, continue to use our resources to test viable alternatives.
This information is provided in a effort to assist those in need of an affective method to detect and confirm the presence of Chinese drywall. By supplying field studies and results we aim to assist in determining which methods work and which do not.
We are currently field testing two additional detection methods. One method having the potential to detect Carbonyl sulfide, Carbon disulfide and hydrogen sulfide simultaneously at varying concentrations and is preliminarily showing promising results. The review of the testing results for these alternative methods of Chinese drywall detection will be posted on this site upon completion, expected late April / early May.