How to Find Signs Your Home Has Hazardous Chinese Drywall

If you have had new drywall installed in your home between the years o f 2004 and 2007, then there is a possibility that you may have installed hazardous Chinese drywall.

The drywall is alleged to release corrosive gases, and is the cause of a host of health problems. Here are a few tips to help determine if you have the defective hazardous Chinese drywall.

Things You'll Need

• a handyman

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Instructions

• 1

  Determine if the air smells like rotten eggs. Hazardous Chinese drywall will emit an odor similar to that of rotten eggs. It is hard to miss the stench. Vacate the premises immediately.

• 2

  Evaluate health symptoms. Some hazardous Chinese drywall symptoms have reported symptoms such as bloody noses, headaches, upper respiratory illnesses, and the use of antibiotics. If you have any of these symptoms, and have noticed a rotten egg smell in your home, then get out of the home.

• 3

  Determine if you have had excessive corrosion to metal components in your home. Bad hazardous Chinese drywall will corrode the copper wiring in your air conditioning unit, causing it to fail. The copper coils will turn black, when affected by the gas released from the drywall. If you have had your air conditioner or other large appliance repaired because of failure, you might want to contact your technician, to see if the copper was bad.

• 4

  Check your electrical outlets. Remove the outlet cover on your electrical boxes, and see if the copper wiring has turned black. This is another indication of a potential health hazard, if related the Chinese drywall.

• 5

  Check the inside of your air conditioning handler inside the house. If it is covered in blackness, then you're sure to have a problem there also.

  In 2004 and 2005, hurricanes hit the U.S. and there became a high demand for drywall. Usually the U.S. gets the gypsum drywall from Mexico and Canada, but to meet the demand, U.S. turned to China to fill the shortage, and that's where the cause arises.