Technical Updates

Potentially more than 30,000 homes in Florida constitute a growing population of residences rapidly being affected by defective imported gypsum drywall.

The drywall in these homes appears to be off-gassing a number of volatile organic compounds (VOC’s), predominantly Strontium Sulfide and Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S), which emit smelly, sulfurous odors (similar to rotten eggs).

These gases are at sufficient levels as to corrode many materials in the affected homes, such as metal piping or copper coils in the air conditioning, and in some cases water lines, leaving the homeowner with expensive repair bills.

According to the Florida Department of Health, most complaints of this nature have been coming from homeowners who bought houses that were built during the 2004 – 2007 “housing bubble boom”. The building boom led to a shortage of U.S. drywall, spurring many builders to use imported drywall, especially from China.

Chinese drywall uses power plant fly ash, thought to be the culprit behind the gas and corrosion-related issues more than 60,000 U.S. homeowners are grappling with. Compounds of the ash, when combined with moisture, form sulfuric acid, known to corrode copper tubing and electrical wiring, turning them black and causing electronics and appliances to fail.

As a homebuilder noticing the potential problems in your houses, and being forced to temporarily relocate homeowners while replacing defective construction material, know that you’re not alone – several other big builders have already filed lawsuits in Florida courts.

As with similar problems experienced by the home building industry (such as mold concerns that cropped up over the last decade), there are steps you can take to address these issues in your built inventory:

Step One – Deploy a protocol to identify which homes are problematic, and which ones are not (even if they do in fact have imported drywall installed). An initial visual screening can help to determine if there is reason to suspect a problem, but testing from a reputable lab is necessary to produce documentation confirming these suspicions. There are no shortcuts in the testing process. Develop a checklist for when you or your client get a call. Problems will likely be categorized into:

• Potential health concerns (especially if the occupants are part of a susceptible population – infants, persons with compromised respiratory systems, etc.)
• Potential life/safety issues (especially electrical shorts/grounding problems or natural gas leak concerns)
• Potential impacts on the durability of building components (i.e., the AC system)
• Perception of home value diminution

Step Two – If a home appears to be a problem, develop an approach to categorize the extent and urgency of the problem.

Step Three – Identify remediation options based on current knowledge and possible innovative approaches (such as pressurization of the home’s interior to flush out or dramatically reduce the imported drywall pollutants). The off-gassing is occurring into both the living space where people can smell the odors, and also into the cavity of the walls where it can attack the electrical wiring. As a result, in most cases, current remediation approaches call for complete removal and replacement of all offending drywall.

Step Four – Always include legal oversight and proper documentation for insurance purposes.

Liberty Building Forensics Group® experts can assist you in each of these steps, and can provide you with some innovative remedial approaches. We are acknowledged experts in the fields of building failures, building forensics, green design and construction, building envelope failures, mold and moisture, architectural deficiencies, litigation support and cost recovery, indoor air quality, and corrosion analysis. Our litigation support team can help you control or recover costs. Contact us today if you’re faced with any of these potential problems.

There is considerable ongoing research and analysis in the industry related to imported drywall problems. One helpful website is www.doh.state.fl.us/environment/community/indoor-air/drywall.html. This site should be visited regularly, as information is continually updated.

Click here to read Liberty Building Forensics Group’s® full report on the imported drywall issue.

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With over 400 domestic and international projects, LBFG® has one of the most varied portfolios of successful project work in the building forensics community. These projects have included both new and existing buildings, cover both residential and commercial construction, and range in size up to $1 billion in cost.