Chinese Drywall - Example of Original Writing

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What are the signs that my home might contain contaminated drywall?

The first telltale sign that your home might contain contaminated drywall is the smell. The smell that these contaminate put off will smell like rotten eggs or ammonia, but not always, so you can’t rely on that alone. The gases emitted corrode copper plumbing, metal surfaces and electrical wiring which in turn destroy appliances such as air conditioning units, refrigerators, etc. With that, if you notice any of the following please contact a professional to conduct test samples.

• An air conditioner unit failure: Corrosion or pitting of the air conditioner evaporator coils coupled with a black sooty deposit which will also appear on the Freon line. Typically, this will cause the Freon to leak.

• Corrosion of electrical wiring: Symptoms of electrical corrosion include, but are not limited to, a circuit breaker that continues to require resetting without apparent reason especially a GFCI or AFCI, flickering lights, a spark when you connect to an electrical outlet and / or a buzzing noise coming from electrical systems. Chances are you don’t have a ghost… You might also notice the plastic covers of switch plates, dimmers or outlet covers are discolored or smell of overheating plastic. In respect to wiring issues you might also have problems with appliances and electronics throughout the home. The most important danger that this poses is with fire / smoke detectors. Because the corrosion could cause an electrical fire, the detectors, if hard-wired might not work.

What can you do if you think you have Chinese Drywall in your home?

There are very specific steps that must be followed to determine if your home does contain the defective product and if so then you will want to work with an experienced and trusted contractor to make the necessary repairs. Plumbline Construction is familiar with the protocol and the mandated Virginia Building Code that must be followed to remedy the situation. If you are experiencing any of the problems mentioned, please don’t hesitate to contact us to make an assessment.