Chinese Drywall or CDW is feared by all Sarasota Realtors and home buyers. I personally have only seen it once but there was no mistaking it. I was showing a bank owned home in Venice, Florida when my client remarked about the missing dishwasher, As I looked into the void where the dishwasher normally lives, I wondered why the supply lines were made of black plastic. Plastic? The hot and cold water lines were actually copper pipes covered in black corrosion. I inspected all of the water lines under the sinks and each one was flat black. The copper piping on the hot water heater was also flat black. Now every home I show always gets a quick visual for black copper pipes. A normal part of a home inspection is a check of the A/C coils and a look at the wiring connections in the circuit breakers. These are 2 very or the most common signs that CDW is present in the home.
Here is an email from a Sarasota home inpector I received yesterday on the subject.
Hi Bill,
It was good to meet you this afternoon. Here is some information on the subject of "Chinese Drywall" you may be interested in. Many have heard of the Chinese Drywall issues but did you know that there are many scams out there? Although there is no official protocol for identifying this type of drywall, there are products out that claim to "fix" the problem. None have been sanctioned by the state or federal government as being affective.
The insurance industry is a big player in this fight so they have come up with a "protocol" that so far has been the yard stick for measuring whether there is tainted drywall in someone's home or not.
The insurance industry is a big player in this fight so they have come up with a "protocol" that so far has been the yard stick for measuring whether there is tainted drywall in someone's home or not.
For Homes Built After 2003
- Is there presence of sulfur-like or other unusual odors?
- Is there confirmed presence of Chinese manufactured drywall in the home?
- Is there copper corrosion, indicated by black, sooty coating of Uninsulated copper pipe leading to the air handler unit present in the garage or mechanical room of a home?
- Is there documented failure of the air conditioner evaporator coil? (located inside air handling unit)
- Is there confirmation by an outside expert or professional for the presence of premature copper corrosion on Uninsulated copper wires and/or air conditioner evaporator coils? (located inside air handling unit) (A professional would be us for example)
Conditions above must be two or more of the five in order to meet the "definition" of having Chinese Drywall.
If a home was built before 2004, it must meet three or more of the criteria.
The approach above utilizes an inexpensive visual protocol. There is also a laboratory sampling approach that is more expensive but sanctioned as well.
The visual approach cost about $150-$350 depending if it is part of a regular inspection or a standalone inspection.
Lab samples cost about $125-$250 each. Typically 4 to 6 or more samples are required.
Keep this in mind when listing or selling a newer home.
If a home was built before 2004, it must meet three or more of the criteria.
The approach above utilizes an inexpensive visual protocol. There is also a laboratory sampling approach that is more expensive but sanctioned as well.
The visual approach cost about $150-$350 depending if it is part of a regular inspection or a standalone inspection.
Lab samples cost about $125-$250 each. Typically 4 to 6 or more samples are required.
Keep this in mind when listing or selling a newer home.
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call or email. We will be happy to respond as soon as possible.
Tom Mahoney
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