Toxic Chinese Drywall
Toxic Chinese Drywall can ruin your health and your home. It emits a gas with a sulfurous odor called hydrogen sulfide.
There is 100 times more of the gas in Chinese drywall than other drywalls.
The gas gets into cement blocks, framing materials, cabinets, can tarnish metal and cause all kinds of health problems.
Builders used Chinese drywall when they built and repaired homes in Cape Coral, particularly in 2005 and 2006.
They had to meet demand because of several hurricanes and a building boom. It has since been discovered to be an inferior and dangerous product.
It has since been discovered to be an inferior and dangerous product.
The Florida Dept of Health has a quiz to figure out if you have Chinese drywall issues:
- Was your home built between 2003 - 2007?
- Does your home have any unusual odors?
- Are your stovetop, oven element, air conditioning coils or mirrors turning black?
- Is your silver jewelry or flatware tarnishing?
- Are you or any member of your family experiencing symptoms of severe allergies, nose bleeds or upper respiratory problems since moving into the home?
In the picture above, you can see corroded air conditioner evaporator coils that are in the air handler.
There may or may not be a sooty deposit on the freon line. Toxic Chinese drywall is mixed with untainted drywall, so you need to have every sheet inspected if you suspect a problem.
The drywall can damage electrical wiring. You may have lights that flicker, hear buzzing, or see sparks and flashes. Does your circuit breaker need constant resetting? Are outlet covers, switch plates, and dimmers discolored, overheating, or smelling like heated plastic?
Some homes built even as far back as 2001 are showing up with the toxic drywall.
Along with respiratory issues, the gas affects eyes, liver, kidneys, skin, the cardiovascular and nervous systems; and bone growth in children.
It has been a problem trying to figure out who will fix the problem since builders unknowingly used the product and it certainly isn't the home owners fault either.
You will need to get an inspection of your home. For a typical single family home, it costs around $300-$350+ for an inspection.
The Federal Government recommends the removal of Chinese drywall and is now trying to make funds available for homeowners.To find out more, get updates, and to receive help, go to Florida's Department of Health website.To read more about toxic Chinese drywall, along with other interesting stories, read my free ebook Weird Cape Coral. To get my ebook, sign up for my monthly newsletter Gator Bites, where you will find out about all the adventures we're having in here in the Cape. Some of the other issues you need to know when buying real estate in Cape Coral are:
For help with purchasing a home in Cape Coral, go to my Cape Coral Realtors page.
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