Several months ago, the CPSC released interim guidance on the identification of Chinese drywall. The CPSC itself admits that further development of an identification protocol is necessary. Let's take a quick look at the steps recommended by the CPSC.
The first step calls for an evaluation of the symptoms of corrosion as caused by Chinese drywall in the home. Certainly, many of the homes that contain Chinese drywall also show signs of Corrosion. On the other hand, many of the homes do not. In the SAME document, the CPSC also says: "Homes may also be misclassified as having no drywall problem due to the absence of characteristics found to be typical in the limited testing to date. Given these limitations, additional work will continue to validate these methods and the identification guidance will be modified as necessary."
So, now we have established that a prerequisite to further testing is evidence of corrosion, but this corrosion may or may not be present in all homes that are affected by Chinese drywall.
Although they don't come out and say it, it seems to me that the CPSC's recommendations are directed at those who already own homes that they suspect may be affected. If I owned a home that I thought may contain Chinese drywall, I would certainly start with a visual check for Chinese sheet rock. Assuming that no one had experienced adverse health issues, a negative check for visual symptoms would likely be the end of the inspection. If the Chinese drywall is not currently causing any issues, why would it matter?
What's the old adage - If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Something along those lines. As someone who owns the home, the loss has already occurred. There is no more protecting you or your family financially.
Now, if I were considering the purchase of a new home, the absence of visible corrosion would not even begin to give me peace of mind. In this situation, I would be looking for a way to protect myself from entering into a situation that would cause the loss. I would want a guarantee that the home I am considering does not contain Chinese dry wall. If the home did not contain corrosion, it would pass the CPSC's guidance. Would the CPSC then reimburse me for my losses if the home later ended up containing Chinese drywall? I think we all know the answer to that one.
Someone considering the purchase of a new home should be looking for a more comprehensive/guaranteed testing options. If the home is cleared by this test and later found to contain Chinese drywall, the associated insurance would cover the losses.
Similarly, if my family was experiencing health problems that could be associated with Chinese wallboard, I would continue on in spite of the absence of corrosion. I would want to know without a shadow of a doubt whether or not my home contained Chinese drywall. Of course, if my builder were repairing homes affected or there was another pressing reason to obtain more quantitative evidence, I would commission a full sampling of my home as well.
The CPSC guidance was better than nothing, but only for people who already own the home they are concerned about. In my experience, it just confuses people who are considering the purchase of a home. Potential buyers need a guarantee that the home they are considering does not contain Chinese drywall.
Certified Chinese Drywall Testing, LLC
877-399-2238
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