Chinese Drywall

Buyer Be Ware!

When I first heard about this problem I thought it was a joke. But make no mistake, this is not a joke!

After 2001, and during the housing boom, cheap drywall was imported from China. The drywall emits sulfur under humid conditions. those sulfur emissions corrodes copper and makes people sick and is throughout Florida. Houses that have sit empty for a year without air conditioning to control the home humidity could be very bad. The corroding can turn the copper electrical wiring to dust, ruin plumbing, damage refrigerators and appliances, and break air conditioners. Remediation requires, basically, gutting the house to its studs and starting over.

There are regulations for remediating Chinese Drywall, but many contractors will do just the minimum and will not do a complete job - like not replacing the electrical wiring.

The only way to be sure is to have the home inspected for Chinese Drywall or Chinese drywall damage before buying the house.