The recent housing boom has lead to an unlikely consequence: the installation of a form of drywall now reported to be toxic.
When the Chinese drywall problem was first discovered, experts thought that those affected only resided in Florida. However, this is not the case. Chinese drywall has now been found nationwide and has also been reported in Canada and Australia.
Increased levels of sulfur in Chinese drywall cause premature corrosion of soft metals - predominately copper - in the home. This sulfur emits a distinctive odor.
This article discusses how you can physically determine if your home has Chinese drywall installed.
Instructions
1. Turn off the power to your house at the breaker panel.
2. Use a screwdriver to remove the outlet cover from an outlet in your home, then remove the outlet.
3. Inspect the bare (neutral) ground wire. If it is black there could be a potential problem. Be sure to check numerous outlets in your home (4-6 per home) and check outlets on both interior and exterior walls.
4. Use a drill or nut driver to open the air conditioning system's air handler to inspect the copper in the evaporator coil. If the coil is copper-colored, green, dark red, or even rusty it means the A/C is ok. If the copper is black, this can indicate a problem.
5. Check out the mirrors in your home. Homes with Chinese drywall installed may have darkened corners or even darkening in the middle of the mirror.
6. Pull out your refrigerator and take a look at the coil on the back. If this is blackened, your home may have Chinese drywall installed.
7. Inspect coins, hinges, and even jewelry for unnatural blackening. Normal household metals may also show blackening.
8. Test the drywall. Sometimes the only way to be completely sure if your home has Chinese drywall installed is to remove a large portion of drywall. If the drywall says "Made in China" on the back, you may want to have it tested by a reputable laboratory.
9. Call a certified home inspector. If you feel your home has Chinese drywall installed after following these tips, contact the pros. You may consider calling your home's builder as well. Both options can inspect your home and tell you proceed.
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