Buyer Beware (Part 2: Chinese Drywall)

Drywall made in China and put into homes here in America between 2003 and 2009 has caused serious issues.  It erodes wiring, copper pipes and can make you sick.  You'd want to know if you were buying a home that had chinese drywall wouldn't you? Of course you would.

There's a tiny bit of good news here.  A newly passed law (Senate Bill 942) addresses this exact issue.  It requires real estate agents involved in a transaction who have actual knowledge of defective Chinese drywall in a dwelling unit to disclose that information to the prospective buyer or tenant.

But, would a real estate agent know of the Chinese drywall if it was in the home?  Quite honestly, we might not.  The most likely way for us to know of it is for our sellers to tell us that it exists.  But, we don't standardly ask this, and many owners may not even know of its existence.  Even if they notice that wiring is corroding, they may not know why.

The burden of discovery remains heavily with the buyer. Check out this post (click here) to learn how to recognize Chinese drywall, and always, always have a professional home inspection.  It's not standard, so specifically request that your inspector note if he found any issues that could be caused by Chinese drywall and if he recommends further examination.

Is Your House Making You Sick?: Chinese Drywall

Chinese Drywall... we sort of hear about it from time to time, but what is it? Who has it? 

Should YOU be worried about it?

First of all, what is is?  Simply put, it is drywall made in China. 

The problem is it seems to emmit a gas, which corrodes many metals and can be very damaging to your health.  Click HERE to read one person's story.

If you do have it, what is the "fix"?  Sadly, it means all the drywall must be removed from the home. it's not cheap, and so before you buy a home, check it out.  If you find it, please follow the recommendations of the Virginia Dept of Health.

Where will you find it?  Apparently Virginia has had a number of cases, although I'll admit I don't know of any in the Dulles area - the most well known are in the Hampton Roads area.  But that doesn't mean it's not in our area.  

A home might have Chinese Drywall IF....

*  It was built or remodeled (new drywall hung) between 2003 and 2009.

*  It has a sulphur like smell (smells like rotten eggs).

*  Its wiring shows signs of corrosion.

*  The Drywall is labeled "Made in China" (a CLEAR INDICATOR, but please note that if it doesn't say "Made in China" it may still be).

I thought this video contained some interesting information on finding out you have Chinese Drywall.

If you're thinking of buying a home built between 2003 and 2009, you are probably a wise buyer and already are planning to hire a home inspector.  Make sure the inspector you're hiring understands Chinese Drywall and what to look for. 

If you already own and are seeing some of these signs, you had better check it out....especially if you're family is getting very ill and no one is quite certain why.  Watch the video if you haven't already.  They even show you some simple tests you can do yourself.

It's frightening to think your house could possibly make you sick, but it happens.  With Asbestos, Mold, Chinese Drywall and any number of other potential environmental hazards, when you're buying a home make sure that you do get a home inspector - a good one - who will be able to advise you of potential dangers and the cost to remediate or correct the problem.