By John Javetski, Contributing Technical Writer

Article reprinted by permission from General Tools & Instruments, Co., LLC

You may have heard of the serious problems that the use of Chinese drywall has created for thousands of homeowners in southern states, particularly Florida.  But you may not be aware of the possibly nationwide extent of the fiasco, or of recent developments on its legal and remediation fronts.  After detailing some of those developments, this article makes the case for using a video camera scope (aka video borescope) as the first step in determining whether a home or apartment indeed has a problem that must be remediated.

As it turns out, the potential consequences of the use of Chinese drywall in a home are on a par with those of the mold left behind after a major flood.  On April 3, 2010, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission released “Interim Remediation guidance for Homes with Problem Drywall,” which recommends that homeowners remove and replace all possible problem drywall, as well as their fire and smoke safety alarm devices and fire suppression sprinkler systems and attached electrical components and wiring.  The CPSC guidelines assume that sulfur compounds off-gassed from Chinese drywall will corrode the metals in these safety systems, making them unreliable.

Furthermore, a recent ruling in the first federal suit against a Chinese drywall manufacturer issued remediation guidance on non-safety-related aspects of the problem.  The federal court recommended that in any residence found to contain Chinese drywall, the following must be replaced:  all copper pipes and plumbing fixtures; the entire HVAC system, most appliances (particularly refrigerators) all electronic component; all carpeting, hardwood and vinyl flooring; tile floors, unless they can be protected during remediation; and all cabinets, countertops, trim, molding and baseboards.

The first of these cases was settled on April 8, 2010, when the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, in a multi-district litigation, entered a default judgment of $2.6 million against a Chinese gypsum supplier on behalf of seven Virginia families whose property had been severely damaged by the company’s drywall.  Personal injuries will be addressed separately.  Homeowners are also pursuing claims against parties other than manufacturers in state courts.  For the latest news on the legal aspects of the problem, as well as remediation guidelines, visit www.chinesedrywall.com.

The recommendations issued with the ruling also advised that after all Chinese drywall has been removed, the property must be completely cleaned, aired out for 15-30 days, and certified as safe by an independent engineering company.  How could an ostensibly benign material such as drywall cause so many costly problems?  For the answer, some historical background is called for.

Crouching Drywall, Hidden Problem

Following the unusually destructive Atlantic hurricane seasons of 2004 through 2007, US manufacturers of drywall could not keep pace with heavy reconstruction demand.  As a result, builders, homeowners and their contractors increasingly turned to Chinese suppliers.  What had been a trickle of Chinese drywall during the housing boom of the past decade became a flood:  Between 2004 and 2008, some 540 million pounds of it entered the U.S. and made its way into about 100,000 homes, according to the Associated Press.  In 2006 alone, enough Chinese drywall was imported to build 34,000 homes.  The problem was, much of this drywall was toxic, and now constitutes a severe public health hazard.  Many lots of Chinese drywall have been found to emit sulfurous fumes that produce a “rotten eggs” odor and cause metals – such as air conditioning coils, electrical cables and wires, copper plumbing, appliances and electronics – to corrode.  Corrosion of its wiring can hamper the effectiveness of a home smoke detection system, increasing the risk of fire. 

Making matters worse, Chinese drywall is also very friable.  Its small particles can easily be dislodged, become airborne, and enter the lungs, where they can cause respiratory and sinus problems.  Reported exposure symptoms include irritated eyes and throats, coughing, sneezing, difficulty breathing, bloody noses, and other symptoms similar to bronchitis and asthma.  In some homes, the drywall problems have been so severe that families have had to move, and some builders have begun gutting and replacing drywall in those structures and buildings under construction as well.

In Florida, where drywall complaints first surfaced, tests conducted by the state health department found that samples of Chinese drywall contained higher levels of sulfuric and organic compounds than an American-made sample.  The compounds detected are highly toxic.

So far, most of the drywall complaints have come from southern states, where a warm, humid climate encourages the emission of sulfur fumes.  The Florida Health Department has received over 150 complaints so far, though experts say as many as 35,000 homes in the state may have used the material.  In Louisiana, there have been at least 350 reports.  Complaints have also come from Mississippi, Alabama, Virginia and North Carolina.  But it is likely Chinese drywall was used elsewhere.  In dryer, cooler areas of the country, it could be years before homeowners begin seeing the problems associated with the material.

So far, no one knows if people exposed to Chinese drywall will face long-term health consequences, but in Louisiana, Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) officials are conducting tests concerning alleged deaths attributed to Chinese drywall.  According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, prolonged exposure to the compounds found in the drywall, especially high levels of carbon disulfide, can cause breathing problems, chest pains and even death, and can affect the nervous system.

The situation has prompted calls for government intervention, and the governors of Florida and Louisiana have asked the feds to step in.  The CPSC has emerged as the lead federal agency dealing with the drywall problem, after the Federal Emergency Management Agency rejected Florida’s request to help assess the damage from toxic drywall, saying the problems it causes to not meet federal disaster or emergency criteria.  The CPSC has been testing Chinese drywall in Florida for some time, and recently was urged by Sen. David Vitter (R-La) to investigate as many as 10 deaths in his state allegedly linked to toxic drywall.

Meanwhile, in Washington, bills have been introduced in both houses of the U.S. Congress calling for a recall and outright ban on Chinese drywall.  Others are lobbying for financial assistance for homeowners dealing with drywall problems.

Eyes In Back of Your Wall

For homeowner and contractors alike, the two biggest benefits of using a video camera scope (as opposed to tearing down walls) to check for the presence of Chinese are savings of money and time.  According to Intuitive Environmental Solutions, LLC (IES) – a southwest Florida-based environmental consulting and inspection firm specializing in indoor air quality and mold contamination issues-toxic panels are easy to spot because they are clearly labeled.  Posted on IES’ website (www.intuiteveenvsol.com) are photos of the types of Chinese drywall known to contain high concentrations of sulfur compounds, including their manufacturer’s markings.

Not surprisingly, IES uses a video camera scope to facilitate its inspections of the areas behind interior walls, which look both for manufacturer’s markings and telltale blackening of copper plumbing, wiring, gas lines, and air-conditioning coils.  In many cases, the area behind a wall can be accessed through the attic or basement.  But even seemingly inaccessible areas are not beyond the reach of a camera scope because its [robe is as thin as a pencil (about 10mm).  Usually, there’s no need to punch even a small hole in a wall for the purpose of the inspection.  Often, access can be gained by using existing holes in walls, such as those for AC outlets or light switches (power should be turned off before this is attempted).  To inspect the area behind a bathroom wall, removing the medicine cabinet is the way to go.

Another important benefit of using certain kinds of camera scopes is their ability to document an inspection’s findings.  As with other instruments, the market for video camera scopes is segmented by price and functionality.  An example is General Tools & Instrument’s Seeker™ Line.  At the extremely affordable low end are the DCS200 ($210) and the DCS300 ($240), which differ only in the size of their LCD displays.  These full color, hi-resolution video camera scopes enable a quality inspection by are not recording devices.

But for just a few dollars more, a homeowner or contractor can buy the Seeker™ 400 series of wireless data-logging camera scopes.  The DCS400 ($330) or the DCS495 ($400, with a very thin 9.0 mm probe), either of which can visually record the inspection for Chinese drywall.  Notably, both of these higher-end models not only offer wireless operation, allowing the LCD screen to be detached from the unit to facilitate remote readings, but more importantly, both models can capture still images and video, which can then be uploaded to a laptop computer.

Such visual proof is invaluable, not only (from a contractor’s perspective) to convince homeowners that toxic drywall is present and must be replaced (as the CPSC now recommends) abut also to support any financial claims against Chinese manufacturers or contractors.  Given the hazards that toxic Chinese drywall presents to health and property, documenting its presence or absence is extremely important.

Of course, if the inspection confirms the presence of Chinese drywall in a home, it is highly recommended that its interior walls be torn down.  But if the inspection confirms its absence, the homeowner will avoid spending thousands of dollars on an unnecessary indoor demolition – and the “joys” that come with it.  In this case, he or she will have simply invested only a few hundred dollars for an extremely versatile instrument whose “bang for the buck” is hard to dispute.

Money Well Spent

Indeed, the range of building inspection tasks that a video camera scope can help end users (particularly contractors) perform more quickly and safely seems to be limited only by their imagination.  They include:

* Checking an AC system's heat exchanger/condenser tubes and fan belts and blades for breaks and cracks.

* Inspecting the interior of ducts and pipes for leaks, corrosion, dust buildup, dry rot, plugged drainage holes, and pests or foreign objects

* Checking pipe chases, utility tunnels, condensate drain pans, duct liners, and roofing materials for mold, which is increasingly problematic in newer buildings that are so airtight they are excellent moisture traps.

* Detecting corrosion on the bottom of LP gas tanks.

* Reading the part numbers, serial numbers and last inspections dates stamped on the hard-to-reach bottoms of components such as oil burners.

* Inspecting furnaces and heater burners and injectors.

* Locating existing electrical wiring, water pipes, and structures before starting a plumbing or electrical job.

For more information about General Tools & Instruments video camera scopes, visit www.generaltools.com/Departments/Instruments/video-borescopes.aspx

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