Chinese drywall making people sick?

[smorris]

http://www.tampabays10.com/news/loca...=98053&catid=8

This made the local news so I looked around a bit and it seems this is becoming an issue all over.

[cgallery]

Huh.

It would be interesting to sniff one of these houses myself.

It seems like the complaints started coming a large amount of time after she moved into the house (like a year?). So I wonder if this is a problem where the sulfur compound takes that long to make it to the surface (and may get worse), or if she is making an excuse for eventually walking away from her mortgage.

[phrog]

Trying to conquer this great nation without firing a shot. (And they're about to succeed.)
Richard

[crokett]

I'm not saying it is or isn't but there is nothing in that article that says the drywall was actually tested. There is a home inspector that says it is, there is the health dept that say they believe it is but nothing that says the drywall was actually tested.

Also, that inspector that said it was the chinese drywall has probably lost her job, or at least has gotten a talking to by the lawyers.

[dbhost]

Sulfur has a plenty obvious odor...

I am a bit surprised at the glut of Chinese made products on the U.S. market though. I understand the global economy, and the Chinese can make things super cheap due to the quality corner cutting they do. But you would think the shipping expense would add up...

Mind you, I know this would add extra expense to us as woodworkers because like it or not, the majority of our tools now come from China. But there should be some kind of safety standard that is tightly enforced on all products coming into the U.S. especially from known corner cutting producers like China, India, Turkey, and Mexico.

[Uncle Cracker]

I think the quality control issue for Chinese products is a hot-button issue in the world economy right now. With world markets in a turmoil, I see many countries sucking up to the Chinese, in spite of the product troubles, because they are one of the few financially viable players left in the game.

[Mr__Bill]

IIRC this issue came up last summer too. something about the sulfuric acid eating the coils out of refrigerators and AC units. it seems that the scrubbers on the stacks of coal fired generating plants create a large amount of stuff to get rid of (really can't think of the right name for it) sort of like tailing. they used it as a filler in the drywall and a lot of it was shipped to the F state.

whatever the cause, we and the rest of the world have to start looking at what we are really bringing home and not just the price of it. the problem being everyone who is making money off of it won't tell us the bad news so we have no way as a consumer to find out. hate to say it but some kind of government regulation is going to be necessary.

bill,
we have met the enemy and he is us.

[bruce hylton]

IIRC this issue came up last summer too. something about the sulfuric acid eating the coils out of refrigerators and AC units. it seems that the scrubbers on the stacks of coal fired generating plants create a large amount of stuff to get rid of (really can't think of the right name for it) sort of like tailing. they used it as a filler in the drywall and a lot of it was shipped to the F state.

whatever the cause, we and the rest of the world have to start looking at what we are really bringing home and not just the price of it. the problem being everyone who is making money off of it won't tell us the bad news so we have no way as a consumer to find out. hate to say it but some kind of government regulation is going to be necessary.

bill,
we have met the enemy and he is us.

flyash....?

[Hellrazor]

I hate to tell you this but... some drywall used in the US over the past 10 years contains asbestos and was manufactured in Mexico. We had to have an an abatement company test the drywall in our newest building at work to confirm it wasn't a problem.

[chopnhack]

i dont know how viable they are Unc C. their exports are down 46% to date. They are hurting big time. Worse off are the millions they relocated out of their farming and agricultural life when they flooded the valleys for their new dam. Those folks were relocated to concrete condos. What skills can they employ in a city? Especially in a city that is probably laying off employees? I think one of the unintended consequences of China doing that is creating a bit of welfare state.

I think the quality control issue for Chinese products is a hot-button issue in the world economy right now. With world markets in a turmoil, I see many countries sucking up to the Chinese, in spite of the product troubles, because they are one of the few financially viable players left in the game.

[master53yoda]

One of the problems that has shown up in the last ten years in the residential houses is sick house syndrome. It is caused by tightening a house up very tight for energy usage and reducing the infiltration.(green construction)

The codes by and large do not require any ventilation in residential construction. The way the problem shows up if the climate is of a higher humidity such as the south is by the inside of the building sweating and mold problems. In an area that is fairly dry and the house is reasonably large the moisture issue doesn't show up. The other problems such as off gassing or other construction contaminates build up in the house and if there are going to be problems they show up as health issues or allergies. The method of handling this is to used forced ventilation in the house, bringing a minimum of 1/3 air change per hour of filtered outside air through the air distribution system. This will replace the total air in the house and provide a clean air supply to the house every 3 hours.

In commercial construction the code addresses outside air requirements by 50 CFM outside air per hour per person based on maximum occupancy. Or by monitoring the CO2 level and ventilating if it rises. The other item in commercial structures is that all bathrooms are continues ventilated as well as kitchens during occupied hours, outside air is brought in sufficient to maintain a neutral or slightly positive building pressure within the building at all times. If these items are not maintained you end up with what is known in the industry as sick building syndrome.

On any of the residential houses that I have designed the air handling system for in the last ten years are designed to bring 1/3 air change per hour in to the main air-handlers and the exhaust system is operated each hour for 10 minutes to 30 minutes as needed to generate a 1/3 air change per hour.

If this would have been done in the house in the article the problem would most likely have been eliminated pretty much regardless the materials used in construction. I have seen this method drop the chemical concentrations from new carpeting and floor finishing that you could smell down within acceptable limits in less then 3 hours of activating the ventilation system.

Any one living in a house built to high energy efficiency standards, needs to verify that the house is receiving the minimum 1/3 air change per hour, as many of the toxins in our environments have no smell and we don't know they are there until we start getting headaches etc.

[Uncle Cracker]

i dont know how viable they are Unc C. their exports are down 46% to date.

They moved 'em once... they can do it again. They have what most lack... A virtually unlimited workforce, who must either produce or starve (hows that for motivation), a vast storehouse of resources controlled by the State, and a decided propensity to look the other way when issues of quality (or safety) vs. marketing arise. Sure things are tough, but they are better positioned than most to weather the storm.

[chopnhack]

eh, you do have a point. You have to think differently when dealing with viewpoints overseas....very different way of doing things. None the less, they are hurting.

[master53yoda]

A virtually unlimited workforce, who must either produce or starve (hows that for motivation), a vast storehouse of resources controlled by the State, and a decided propensity to look the other way when issues of quality (or safety) vs. marketing arise. Sure things are tough, but they are better positioned than most to weather the storm.

Interesting point, you just described the position of most third world countries that have historically controlled manufacturing, forcing the more advanced countries to a service economy............. IE The United States 100 years ago.

[gjat]

Huh.

It would be interesting to sniff one of these houses myself.

It seems like the complaints started coming a large amount of time after she moved into the house (like a year?). So I wonder if this is a problem where the sulfur compound takes that long to make it to the surface (and may get worse), or if she is making an excuse for eventually walking away from her mortgage.

Give the lady a break. The copper is being corroded and Health Departments in two counties both say they've recieved complaints from others. They're still building and developing in Lakewood Ranch. I would doubt she's drastically upside down on home values down there. It says she's moved out of the house, is living with her mother, AND IS STILL PAYING THE MORTGAGE. I think that's remarkable, given how many people I know are walking away from homes they bought without even trying.