Over the past couple of years we’ve been hearing more and more about Chinese Drywall in SW Florida. Our office focuses mostly in Cape Coral & Fort Myers real estate. There are many homes & communities that have been affected by Chinese Drywall. Most of these homes were built between the years of 2003-2008 but there have been some instances found dating back as early as 1998.
During those periods, our housing/building boom, drywall was imported into the United States that was manufactured in China & much of it contained potentially toxic materials.
If you are considering purchasing a home in our area that was built, or remodeled in those timeframes you will most definitely want to have a home inspection that includes a Chinese Drywall inspection.
How does an inspector look for Chinese Drywall? At the present time, the only sure way to confirm that the house has Chinese Drywall is to send a portion of the drywall off to a lab to be tested.
An inspector can look for signs of Chinese Drywall though. Some signs are:
Corroded Copper
in electrical wiring
in air handler
Silver
in faucets and other fixtures
jewelry
mirrors
Odor
similar to bad well water / sulfur / rotten-egg
What are some potential issues of Chinese Drywall?
Health
I’m not for sure if these have been confirmed but people have complained of respiratory problems, allergy-like symptoms, headaches and nervous system issues.
Electrical & Structural
again confirmation may, or may not, exist ~ I’ve heard of complete electrical panels being burnt out
the toxic fumes could penetrate into the concrete blocks or other components of the house ~ most typically into other wood items such as cabinets
What is the remediation process for Chinese Drywall?
Complete removal of all Chinese Drywall
Depending upon the severity of the spread this could include the blocks, cabinets, wiring, pipes or more
As I am not an expert on Chinese Drywall I have included links to other resources where you can continue your education if you so choose.
US Consumer Product Safety Commission: http://cpsc.gov/info/drywall/
Article on CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/03/18/chinese.drywall/
Article from WSJ: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123171862994672097.html
Article from our local News-Press: http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009909220331
Additional information & photos: http://www.chinesedrywall.com/gallery.html
At the present time we have buyers actually seeking out Chinese Drywall homes to purchase & other buyers steering clear of them. Armed with information you can make the decision that is best for you.
As always, we look forward to working with you. You can search Cape Coral real estate from our website 24/7 from the comfort of your home or office. When you are ready for more information simply let us know & we’ll get in touch quickly.
Make it a GREAT day!
Yours in Success,
Susan Milner
Broker of Florida Future Realty, Inc.
(239) 542-8521
www.SusanMilner.com
~ as with most things, the signs stated above could be signs of other conditions of the home and may or may not equate to Chinese Drywall. Make sure to hire a professional to make the correct determination.
Copyright 2009 Susan Milner ~ Florida Future Realty, Inc.