Five Concerns of Defective or Chinese Drywall, Says Building Envelope Science Institute

March 8, 2011 - PRLog -- There are Five Major Concerns for owners that have structures built with Chinese or Defective Drywall.  There are solutions to each of the following concerns: corrosion, cross-contamination of other building materials, personal belongings, indoor air quality, and the stigma from having defective drywall.  

A little background, this crisis has affected owners in 43 States, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, and Puerto Rico. The term “defective” drywall has many synonyms such as corrosive, tainted, reactive, or Chinese drywall; but all refer to gypsum board (foreign or domestic) that appears to be the source of off-gassing which corrodes copper wiring and cross contaminates other building materials and personal belongings.
 
Concern 1: Corrosion. The number one indicator for the presence of defective or Chinese drywall in a structure is the corrosion of copper, especially the evaporator coils located in the HVAC system.  This corrosion is caused by the sulfur gases that are emitted from the defective drywall.  There are a couple of metallurgical reports that indicate once the corrosion starts it will continue even after the source has been removed, in this case the defective drywall.  That is why the CPSC and Judge Fallon (MDL-2047) both require that all copper and electrical wiring be removed during the remediation process, to prevent future problems.

Concern 2: Cross-Contamination of Building Materials.  Sulfur gases emitted by defective drywall absorbs directly into the building materials such as wood studs, cabinets, and other common building materials located within homes built with defective drywall.  Laboratory analysis conducted by Analytical Research Systems (ARS) and other labs indicate that the off-gassing of the defective drywall cross-contaminates the building materials; therefore, requiring some type of treatment to prevent future problems.

Concern 3: Cross-Contamination of Personal Belongings. Most often, this is the lesser known effect of living in a home that has Defective Drywall; nevertheless, it is an important concern to be addressed prior to reoccupying a newly remediated home or even before moving into temporary housing. Sulfur gases emitted by defective drywall absorbs into personal belongs and will continue to off-gas after being removed from the source, if not properly treated.  There are no specific or accurate times for airing-out to be effective such as 30 days, 60 days, or a year; however, there are solutions that provide a definitive time-requirement with unprecedented results.

Concern 4: Indoor Air Quality. Since Chinese or Defective drywall produces gases this causes an indoor air quality issue.  The solution to this issue comes in two different categories: temporary stabilization and post remediation.  There are two strongly suggested products that can both help with the stabilization, allowing the structure to be occupied until remediation can be performed and again after remediation to continue with improving the air quality. The OdorKlenz cartridge and Hydroxyl treatment system are the two most recognized and effective methods for treating structures with Defective Drywall.

Concern 5: Stigma & Resale Value. Homes or other structures that have been identified as having Defective Drywall, when reported, can lose their property value and the structure may have no contributing value to the property; there is only land value.  This can be devastating to both the owners of these homes and those in the same neighborhood, because resale values plummet.  

The stigma can be removed and the value regained by having a national warranty placed on the structure. Structures that do not have Defective Drywall can be provided a certification and warranty which will protect the value; and structures that have been identified to contain Defective Drywall can be properly remediated and qualify for the same 10-year, renewable warranty which will protect the value of the newly renovated structure.

The Solution. Solutions to each of these Five Concerns of Chinese Drywall were addressed by the Building Envelope Science Institute during 2009; were shared with various government agencies; and have been taught to qualified professionals to perform inspections and remediation which properly address each of these concerns so the owners are whole again.  Contractors are trained to properly perform remediation of structures with Defective or Chinese Drywall during a two-day certification course offered by the Building Envelope Science Institute (BESI). BESI conducted BETA home evaluations to track the remediation of homes which followed its certified protocols and now has a home remediated about fifteen months ago; all test results show no corrosion on post remediation samples.

To learn more about the institute or the certification courses offered, go online to www.BESInstitute.com, or contact info@BESInstitute.com.

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About Building Envelope Science Institute: a specialized institute dedicated to the advancement of education, specifically designed for the construction industry.