How to Identify Chinese Drywall in Your Home
By Jim Greene
Published on December 17, 2009
Thousands of complaints have been lodged with federal and state agencies about alleged property damage and health problems blamed on Chinese drywall used in home construction. If you think your home contains defective Chinese drywall, there are ways to find out, some certain, some circumstantial.
The simplest method is to contact the company that built your home and ask. Of course, they may not want to talk to you about it, since some home builders are defendants in property damage or personal injury lawsuits.
Some Drywall Bears Identifying Labels
Another tactic is to expose some drywall and look for labels indicating the manufacturer or the country of origin. The easiest way is to roll back some attic insulation and look. If there is no labeling, it's time to move on to less direct methods.
Chinese drywall has been shown to emit various chemical fumes. The most obvious is sulfur dioxide; a smell like rotten eggs is a giveaway. Failing that, look for metal corrosion, especially of copper air-conditioning system parts, electrical wiring, and water pipes. Corrosion of both copper and silver jewelry has also been a concern.
If you don't want to dig into your AC system or your walls, it's been suggested that hanging a piece of silver jewelry in front of an air-conditioning return vent may show evidence of corrosion in a few days.
Health Problems Blamed on Chinese Drywall
Because links between health problems and Chinese drywall are still being investigated, the evidentiary value of medical symptoms is not as good as that of apparent property damage. If you suspect health issues, though, you should document symptoms for future evaluation. Some that are suspected include asthma attacks, congestion, coughing, dizziness, eye irritation, fatigue, gastrointestinal problems, headaches, joint and muscle pain, and nausea.
If you think you have suffered property damage or health problems because of defective Chinese drywall, you should contact an experienced attorney right away. An important class-action lawsuit will be filed soon and you may qualify for inclusion.
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