The New Hazard … Chinese Sheetrock…
The Real Story …
News and commentary about the real estate market and related topics.
Dave Parrish, ABR ®, CRSA, CSP, GRI, ePRO ®, REALTOR ®, RealtySouth
The New Hazard … Chinese Sheetrock…
Seems there’s a never ending stream of alerts and alarms for homeowners. If your home was built between 2003 and 2007, the letter is in the mail… The hazard du jour: Chinese Sheetrock.
Used extensively in rebuilding following the hurricanes of 2005 and during the housing boom, Chinese-made drywall was an alternative to the U.S. product, which was in short supply. However, it appears from some sources that the problem could go back to 2000.
The Problem:
It’s believed that the Chinese Sheetrock emits a foul-smelling sulfuric gas when exposed to heat and humidity. Those gases are also suspected as the cause of corroding wires, pipes, home fixtures and even jewelry. Air condition problems and malfunctions are one of the common problems associated with Chinese Sheetrock. While not yet proven, there is serious concern over possible health effects particularly respiratory problems associated with the presence of Chinese sheetrock.
• Discoloration of metals
• Repeated air-conditioning failures
• Corrosion of exposed wiring
• Corrosion of plumbing components
• Blackening of jewelry, ornaments, mirrors, and other metal items
• Failure of electronic devices
• Sulfur-like or vinegar-odor
• Sinus or respiratory problems
Chinese drywall is friable, which means it is in a state where small particles can easily become dislodged with very little friction, thus enabling them to easily enter our lungs. For this reason, even after Chinese drywall is removed from your home, the toxic particulate will likely remain unless properly removed. To date, however, there is no State or Federal Government mandated remediation protocol and, therefore, exercise extreme caution before remediating a home with Chinese drywall.
As a result of these issues and the lack of approved remediation methods/procedures, there is serious concern on the impact that the presence of Chinese sheetrock will have on property values of effected properties and the ability to resell the home.
Background Information:
Often referred to as sheetrock or drywall, the technical term for the widely used construction material is gypsum wall board. As a result of cost and short domestic supplies of sheetrock, during recent years the import of Chinese sheetrock has occurred to fill the demand. This sheetrock has been used during new construction. Some hurricane damaged homes and businesses in the southern United States have been repaired with Chinese sheetrock.
Reportedly, Chinese sheetrock has been imported in at least forty-one (41) states.
It has come to light that that some of the imported sheetrock has impurities in the raw material used in the manufacturing process that contains sulfur. It has been reported that under the right environmental conditions sulfur containing gas can be released from this sheetrock. Over time these conditions can corrode exposed metal surfaces. This may include copper plumbing pipes and fixtures, copper heating and air conditioning systems, and electrical wiring. Often an odor can be associated with the gases emitted.
There are several suspected sulfur compounds including iron disulfide, sulfur dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide to name a few. Some moderate respiratory problems have been reported. As of early 2009 there were no known reported significant health risks. Likely the concentrations encountered are relatively low limiting the health effects. However, in high enough concentrations some of these compounds can result in more serious health problems.
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