UP-DATED - Tainted Corrosive Chinese Drywall - Diagnosis, Abatement, Treatment - Facts and Opinions

April 10, 2011 - PRLog -- Victims of this major construction crisis had no warning of the hidden danger associated with their - Dream Home Purchase - now a Night-Mare or Financial Disaster - for those infected with Tainted Corrosive Drywall (TCDW).

Consumers are confused and puzzled by conflicting Reports and Findings from CPSC, NAHB, HUD, Judge Fallon, and numerous other groups about CDW or TCDW diagnosis, abatement, treatments, certifications, testing, testing equipment, post treatment testing, material testing, personal property testing, and other issues.

All agree on only one (1) issue at this time – Corrosion !!!

Consumers who turned to the US Court System for justice and recourse, sadly found judgments issued by the Courts are worthless, or hollow victories until perfected or collected. Consumers now understand, it maybe years or even decades, before any money or relief actually appears, if at all.

Now ... Who do Consumer trust ?

CDW or TCDW Issues and Questions, first documented and surfaced in late 2005 to early 2006 - now five (5) plus years later ...

Homeowners and Consumers still do not have specific, detailed, guidelines, and answers to numerous questions !

Government Agency findings provide, "interim guidelines" and "conflicting reports", concerning Abatement, Treatment, Testing and Post Treatment Testing Processes.

Published guidelines and reports with conflicting opinions and facts, on the surface, sound and look complete to untrained Professionals, are actually raising more questions than answers, when reviewed, and looked at closely by trained and educated Construction Professionals and compared with Judge Fallon's expert findings.

Now, a review of current information and facts:

Tainted Corrosive Drywall NDE Analysis Protocol:

Simple, accurate, effective means and method to determine if a structure is infected or not infected with TCDW or CDW.

ASTM Emergency Work Group established November 2009, to provide and establish an analysis or diagnostic Standard, to determine the presence of TCDW or CDW in structures.

Foreman and Associates perfected, NDE Analysis Protocol in January 2009.
Michael S. Foreman, C-11 ASTM Work Group Member
Submitted NDE Analysis Protocol to ASTM Work Group, January 2010,
To support and expedite the ASTM process.
NDE Analysis Protocol posted, FREE - February 1st, 2011

At this time ...

No ASTM Diagnostic Standard, No Residential ASTM corrosive out-gassing level Standard, No ASTM Abatement or Treatment Standard, NO ASTM corrosive out-gassing Test Standard, No ASTM Final Clearance Standard, even after F&A submitted their documented and validated NDE Analysis Protocol, over a year ago.

Abatement:

Abatement sounds good ...
 
What needs to be abated ?
Who determines what needs to be abated ?
How do you perform the abatement ?
Who is qualified to perform the abatement ?
Who is qualified to determine the level of abatement ?
How do you confirm the abatement was successful ?
Who guarantees abatement ?
What licensees are required for the abatement ?

Consumers need answers and specific guidance, prior to starting corrective abatement and treatment ?

One size fits all, corrective repairs, corrective protocols, and numerous other abatement and treatment options, will not always cost effectively solve known specific Tainted Corrosive Drywall issues, and may actually ... not work.

With the governments research and money spent to-date (Millions), not one person, agency, or institution can answer one (1) simple specific question ...

What is causing the drywall or gypsum board, corrosive out-gassing vapors ?

My firm asks this question, to emphasize the actual lack of specific Scientific answers, concerning the simple, yet complicated gypsum board manufacturing processes that hold the answers, that to-date, have not been confirmed or established, after five (5) plus years of research.  

Defective Terminology Facts:

ASTM C 1396/ C 1396M  
International Standard for Manufacturing Drywall or Gypsum Boards

Materials and Manufacture - ASTM 1396/C 1396M Section 4.1 states

"Gypsum Boards shall consist of a non-combustible core, essentially gypsum, surfaced with paper bonded to the core."

Clearly, tainted corrosive drywall or imported gypsum board is, "essentially gypsum" and continues to-date to meet the Standard. All drywall, sheet-rock, or gypsum board is manufactured with "essentially gypsum".

Clearly this is why the CPSC has not issued a re-call on the so-called Defective product.

Again, the product is not ... Defective ... Yes ... tainted and corrosive ... but ... Not Defective.

Vapor or Out-Gassing Test Methods:

Chamber Testing

ASTM approved method, measuring corrosive out-gassing levels and specific compounds found in vapors or out-gassed vapors.

ASTM Chamber Testing confirms and validates - accurate, definitive measurements of specific corrosive compounds, that at this time, have - no established or acceptable residential corrosive ASTM Standard - legally and professionally allowing, confirmed and validated out-gassing component and level information, to be factually interpreted and applied by Professionals.

CPSC ASTM Chamber Testing by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), clearly shows elevated corrosive out-gassing levels of imported gypsum boards compared to domestic gypsum boards, allowing my Firm to establish ... 6 - 8 total corrosive micro-grams per hour out-gassing, per square meter of gypsum board or Less as an acceptable corrosive out-gassing level, or Rule of Thumb, until actual ASTM Standards are validated, tested, approved, and established.

Current CPSC Chamber Test Out-Gassing Charts and Information
 
Treatments:

At this time, all Projects performed under Environ "Air-Out" Protocol, or any other abatement protocols that fail to address the unknown future TCDW or CDW out-gassing residue issues, are not only at risk, but may require further corrective repairs, to resolve these unknown issues, including recently questionable electrical wiring reports.

At this time, no Government Agency can explain, confirm, or validate what specifically is causing the out-gassing vapors ... clearly leaving an unknown factor(s) or risk, Consumers, and Legal System, may deal with in the future.

Foreman and Associates, firmly believes these Protocols are unacceptable, risky, and unnecessary, when a simple, cost effective, field validated application currently exists.

F&A Team, field validated, and confirmed an Eco-Friendly product - Sniper - not only eradicates and eliminates all TCDW or CDW out-gassing and out-gassing residues, but also kills mold and mildew spores on contact, commonly found in structures during the abatement process.

Sniper Treatment Application, cost effectively reduces re-construction component replacement cost and Personal Property replacement cost, including existing cabinets, counter-tops, and other hard surface building components, including glass, tile, stone, and wood flooring.

Foreman and Associates Team, provides a Tainted Corrosive Chinese Drywall Insurance Policy, specific to your property, after abatement, treatment, and validated post treatment testing, per our Property Specific Protocol.

Foreman and Associates Team, cost effectively provides, 45 - 65 day abatement, treatment and re-construction turn around, on typical 2500 square foot structures - turn key - 100% complete, move-in ready, including our Property Specific Insurance Policy.

Foreman and Associates continues to lead the Industry the old fashion way, with - field work and research - further educating and empowering Consumers.

Thank you for your time and interest,

Michael S. Foreman
Forensic Construction Consultants
http://www.ConstructionGuru.com

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Foreman and Associates, a FULL service forensic construction consulting firm.
Our firms Treatment Protocol for Tainted Corrosive Drywall commonly called Chinese Drywall has been validated, confirmed, tested, and documented as 100% successful.

Our firms Sniper Treatment Application Protocol affords Consumers the option of a Chinese Drywall Specific Insurance Policy, covering any future issues associated with not only Chinese Drywall or Tainted Corrosive Drywall, but also the future unknown out-gassing vapor residual issues .