Chinese Drywall Frequently Asked Questions
1. Q: How can I tell if my home has problem drywall?
A: We are currently not aware of any definitive test to determine if a home has problem drywall. Nevertheless, you might consider contacting your homebuilder to ask about the materials used in construction. Consumers raising concerns about drywall have typically identified a "rotten egg" smell within their house, several health symptoms while in the home, and corrosion or blackening of certain metal items. Consumers have also reported frequent failures of copper piping in air conditioning units.
2. Q: What should I do if I think my house has problem drywall?
A: We recommend four steps:
- 1. The most important issue is your health and safety. If you are suffering from the health symptoms described as common to the reports of exposure to problem drywall, please consult your physician as soon as possible. If you experience any of the electrical or fire safety concerns described as common to the reports of exposure to problem drywall, please consult your local gas or electric supplier and a licensed electrician or building inspector as soon as possible.
- 2. You should contact your State and local authorities to report your concerns and get direction on any help or resources in your area.
- 3. You should also report your concerns to us using the form at https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx
- 4. You should also consider contacting your insurance company and homebuilder to report your concerns.
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3. Q: What are the health symptoms and risks?
A: The most frequently reported symptoms are irritated and itchy eyes and skin, difficulty in breathing, persistent cough, bloody noses, runny noses, recurrent headaches, sinus infection, and asthma attacks. Since many consumers report that their symptoms lessen or go away when they are away from their home, but return upon re-entry, it appears that these symptoms are short-term and related to something within the home. We are aggressively investigating if scientific evidence exists linking chemical emissions from the drywall to the reported health complaints. At this time, however, any such relationship or long-term health effects are unknown.
4. Q: What should I do if I have any of the symptoms described as common to exposure to problem drywall?
A: Please consult your physician as soon as possible.
5. Q: Should I hire an air quality tester or a firm to remove and replace the drywall?
A: We cannot advise whether or not to take such steps. We are still investigating the problem. Please be cautious, however, of persons or businesses advertising testing and remediation services - there may be unqualified or dishonest individuals seeking to take advantage of consumers struggling to address this issue. You should consult your State and local authorities if you have any questions or concerns about contractors or testing companies promising solutions to these drywall matters.
6. Q: What are the electrical or fire safety concerns and what I should I watch for in my house?
A: Consumers have reported blackened and corroded metal in their homes. Particularly, consumers have reported failures of certain components such as: (1) premature failures of central air conditioning evaporator coils located indoors as part of the central air conditioning unit air handler; and (2) intermittent operation or failure of appliances, such as refrigerators and dishwashers, and electronic devices such as televisions and video game systems. Please see the FAQ below if you have questions about gas service. You should generally watch for the following potential electrical hazards in your home:
- Power outages - a circuit breaker which needs resetting frequently without any apparent cause; especially if a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) or arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) trips frequently. Arc-fault circuit interrupters are a special kind of circuit breaker that is designed to detect arcing conditions in the electrical wiring.
- Dim/flickering lights - lights dim often without any specific cause, such as the air conditioner or the refrigerator turning on.
- Arcs/sparks - bright flashes or showers of sparks anywhere in your electrical system.
- Sizzles/buzzes - unusual sounds from electrical system devices.
- Overheating - parts of your electrical system, such as switch plates, dimmer switches, receptacle outlet covers, cords and plugs may be warm as a normal consequence of their operation but should not be discolored from heat or painful to touch.
- Odors - pungent smells such as strong fumes from overheating plastic or electrical insulation materials.
- Electrical shocks - any shock, even a mild tingle.
- Multiple symptoms would be a stronger indication of problems.
7. Q: What should I do if I suspect the corrosion has affected my gas service?
A. If you suspect corrosion has affected your gas service, please consult your gas supplier immediately.
However, if you suspect a gas leak in or outside your home:
- LEAVE the area IMMEDIATELY and tell others to leave too.
- DO NOT turn any lights on or off, smoke, or operate any vehicle or equipment that could cause sparks.
- DO NOT attempt to turn gas valves on or off.
- Immediately call your gas supplier from a neighbor's phone. Follow the gas supplier's instructions.
- If you cannot reach your gas supplier, call the fire department.
- Installation and service must be performed by a qualified installer, service agency or the gas supplier.
8. Q: What should I do if I experience any of the electrical or fire safety concerns common to exposure to problem drywall?
A: Please consult your local gas or electric supplier and a licensed electrician or building inspector, as soon as possible. Please see the FAQ above if you have questions about gas service.
9. Q: Can you visit my home to test the air and to tell me if I have a problem with my drywall?
A: During our investigation, a number of homes will be visited to conduct tests and gather samples, but we cannot visit every potential house and conduct a screening.
10. Q: What builders used the drywall in question?
A: We are still investigating the scope of the drywall problem. We are working to identify the links from foreign manufacturers to the U.S. consumers in consultation with the Chinese government and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
11. Q: Why doesn't the CPSC just recall the drywall?
A: CPSC cannot order someone to conduct a recall without a trial. Our case on behalf of consumers will have to be driven by scientific proof linking the drywall and the health problems or the electrical and fire safety issues, which we are aggressively pursuing.
12. Q: Why didn't the CPSC catch this problem drywall before it was installed in homes?
A: CPSC does not have the legal authority to perform pre-market testing and approval of products. In addition, this is a unique situation given that drywall has not presented problems such as these in the past.
13. Q: What has been the response of the Chinese government?
A: CPSC is in contact with the Chinese government, which is cooperating with our investigation. The Chinese authorities have offered to arrange for a Chinese official to travel to the United States in support of our investigation.
14. Q: When will we know the results of the investigation?
A: Although we have urgently committed significant resources to this problem, gathering evidence and conducting the necessary tests will take time. It could be months before we can confidently address the scientific relationships between the problem drywall and the health and safety concerns raised by consumers. Be assured that, as our investigation progresses, we are committed to updating consumers regularly with as much information as possible.
