Chinese Drywall Inspections

Submitted by eliteinspectors on Wed, 11/30/2011 - 14:31

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Elemental Sulfur levels in samples of drywall found in the home exceeding 10 PPM or (mg/Kg) are considered to be of reactive/problematic drywall. During the years from approximately 2001 to 2007, during the residential construction boom, production of gypsum wall board products lagged behind demand, so gypsum boards (Drywall) were imported from China. It was found however that the quality of the Chinese product was such that it contained higher amounts of toxic byproducts than our domestic product. Some of these byproducts contained high amounts of sulfur or sulfides which then reacted with moisture to produce a corrosive gas. The resultant out-gassing caused corrosive damage to metals such as copper. Copper is an integral part of components used in residential construction, such as electrical conductors, water pipes, and HVAC coils, so extensive damaged to these systems can be a result of this out-gassing from Chinese Drywall. Our home inspectors are experienced in the detection of the signs that a home may have Chinese Drywall.