If your walls smell funny, check the origin and dates of the Sheetrock.
Sulfur in Sheetrock traces back to 2001, with the majority of the problems arising from homes built in 2006 and 2007. The house-building boom, combined with natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, resulted in a drywall shortage in the U.S. so American builders began importing Sheetrock from China. After numerous reports of health problems and corrosion issues, the sulfur in the Chinese drywall was found to be the culprit. If you suspect something isn't right with your Sheetrock, monitor it to see if it might contain sulfur. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Research the year your home was built, or when it was renovated with new drywall. If you don't have the records, check with your local tax office or with your mortgage company who might have a list of previous owners through a title search. Call previous owners if possible. If the building or repairs was completed between 2001 and 2008, you may have Chinese drywall that contains sulfur.
2. Examine the unpainted back side of the Sheetrock. This is likely easiest in the attic, where you can easily pull up the insulation while wearing gloves. Check for a location notation, specifically "Made in China."
3. Photograph signs of corrosion in your home, such as on exposed copper pipes or the copper coils inside your air conditioning unit. The sulfur gas combines with the condensation on the outside of the pipes and coils and causes rapid corrosion, leading to cracked pipes or broken coils. Take the photos on a regular basis, such as once a week, to monitor the progress of the corrosion. Identifiable changes in the corrosion might be a sign that you have sulfur in your Sheetrock.
4. Keep a detailed log to monitor any health problems with the home's occupants. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports the symptoms of short-term exposure to sulfur include itchy skin and eyes, difficulty breathing or other respiratory problems, and frequent headaches. Long-term effects include loss of appetite, forgetfulness and fatigue.
5. Contact an environmental testing agency to sample your Sheetrock for testing if you suspect sulfur in your drywall from a Chinese notation, corrosion issues or consistent health issues that could be sulfur-related.
Tags: with your, your Sheetrock, Chinese drywall, corrosion issues, health problems
