Page 24 - Summer2011

Another unscientific test that can be done, according to Danny Lipford, (a television home improvement expert), recommends hanging a piece of silver jewelry or silver utensil on a string in front of the return air filter and watching it over the course of a few days to see if it corrodes. Lipford says that most of the Chinese drywall has been found in homes that were built or remodeled in recent years by larger contractors and builders. Reports by homeowners to the Consumer Product Safety Commission came from 30 states; the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, most of whom said their homes were build in 2006 and 2007.

Experts also recommend going into your attic if you suspect your home has Chinese drywall, and pulling back some of the insulation to see if you can find a stamp that says “Made in China” or the name of the manufacturer. You might want to also hire a building inspector to confirm the presence of the drywall, or to consult a lawyer about your options and contact your home builder, who might be able to work something out with you.

The cost of fixing a home with defective drywall usually exceeds $100,000, not a small amount of money. Unfortunately, many insurance companies have refused to cover the cost of this issue, due to its expensiveness. However, each state has different laws regulating insurance policies and the courts of those states have interpreted those laws differently. One Chinese drywall supplier has very recently agreed to pay up to $8 million to settle court claims against the company over damage to homes from the contaminating product. Additionally, some states have offered a property tax break to states particularly affected by the outbreak of cases of Chinese drywall problems. But many homeowners are still fighting in court with similar companies and with insurance companies to earn back some of the large sums of money that were shelled out from the damage caused to their homes. So it really depends on the policy of your insurer, and whether or not the manufacturing company of your drywall has agreed to pay any settlement fees.