Chinese drywall fears widen in SW Florida news-press.com The News-Press I hate to sound like CNN's Lou Dobbs, but dag, is nothing being made in America anymore? I have gotten used to checking clothing, food, toy and consumer product labels to determine country of origin, but it appears that now even homes are being constructed with materials made from countries with questionable environmental and regulatory practices. Let the buyer beware.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
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This is what i wrote on the Newspress forum. http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008812240351
Once again the claims of Engel homes is unfounded except for removing the drywall. Fosters sealant paint has been added to all the surfaces of a tested home with the drywall in question and did not work. The odor came back after the smell of the paint went away and certain metals continued to pit. I don't under stand why the newspress keeps using Lennar as if they are the only one with a real problem. As far as i can tell almost all the builders have this problem to a certain degree and not at small %s. "Scientific testing shows no indication of any health risks to our homeowners. Lennar has been working with our homeowners on long-term solutions based on the specific testing of their homes" Yes certain ASTM and OSHA testing has been conducted but this is a cumulative issue and not a short term exposure, so no true heath study has been conducted to date meaning testing for chronic exposures.
This article is right about not panicking and to work with your builder, it's just no one has attempted correct type of testing including corrosion studies to analytically find out what is actually corroding the specific metals and comparison studies with the affected drywall and regular US made drywall without the stated issues. Here are a few terms you should look for and research.
KNAUF
Flue Gas Desulphurization
Pyrophoric Oxidation
OSHA 1008 & 1011 combined modified long term test
NIOSH 7903
Drywall analysis by XRD for Iron Pyrite
from Wiley Interscience publishing:
Formicary Corrosion of Copper Tubes after two Months in Service
Chapter Authors: D. M. Bastidas, E. Cano, L. Bello, J. M. Bastidas
Summary
In air-conditioning applications premature failure of copper tubing frequently occurs due to pitting corrosion after a short period in service and even during post-installation leakage tests and during degreasing and stamping processes. This unusual type of localised corrosion in thin-walled tubes has been described in the bibliography as ant-nest (formicary) corrosion. Copper tubes that suffer this type of corrosion are mainly used in heat-transfer units such as evaporators, air-conditioners, refrigerators, condensers, radiators and solar-systems. The morphology of this corrosion is characterised by the development of longitudinal pits that form interconnecting microcavern channels of random direction that contain porous copper oxide in directional pits. Usually, microscopic tunnels start on the surface of the copper tubing and progress into the tube wall.
Copper tubes used in a commercial air-conditioning system were analysed to assess the reasons for their premature corrosion failure during leakage tests after installation and during their first two months in service. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were the techniques utilised. Volatile organic acids, chlorine and sulphur, originated by the manufacturing processes, were identified as possible sources of the premature copper corrosion failure.
We are investigating the problems with Chinese drywall. For more info, visit: http://www.defective-chinese-drywall-lawsuit.com/
The problem with the defective Chinese drywall has been causing homeowners and their families to deal with sulfur fumes that smell like “rotten eggs” and cause air conditioning coils to corrode as well as sinus and respiratory ailments, eye and skin irritation, persistent runny or bloody noses, headaches, and asthma. Some situations have become so severe that residents have had to vacate their homes. In some cases, victims have been harassed by builders into signing unfair, one-sided remediation agreements. I found a pretty good blog that has been providing valuable information on the problems: www.chinese-drywall-answers.com
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