Chinese drywall shares commonalities with flooring, particularly as it relates to VOCs.If you’re new to the flooring industry you may be surprised to learn that last decade it was necessary for the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to anoint carpet as a safe product. The proclamation was due to flawed tests perpetrated against the carpet industry by Anderson Laboratories.
But the issue isn’t dead if you search the Internet. There are still sites that support Anderson Labs. Even a "green" industry site writes “A rash of alleged health problems with carpet have yet to be properly explained, suggesting that all carpets, and especially the less expensive synthetics, should be used with great caution.”
The drywall industry is going through a similar experience.
Two major differences:
1. They’ve pinpointed it to some drywall made in China.
2. It’s true and real, and no one is suggested it isn’t destroying homes and people’s lives.
The odor is acidic and the VOCs make people seriously ill. Furthermore, it corrodes electric wiring; destroys plumbing, renders air conditioners, washers and dryers, refrigerators and every metal appliance worthless.
There are only ~1200 complaints to date according to The Wall Street Journal. Although 24 states are involved, three quarters of the complaints come from Florida. Expectations are that over 100,000 homes are affected. Lennar Corp says they’ve put aside $40 million to repair homes it’s built. [add link to article]
But, there’s a dirty little secret that may be obvious to you. Why so few homes if they’ve installed Chinese drywall in tens of thousands homes? The answer is because the cause isn’t just drywall. My friend and globally recognized Chinese drywall expert Karen Scott, from Asset Advisors tells me that there is speculation that something else in the home is emitting VOCs that combined with the caustic Chinese drywall and heat and humidity is causing or exacerbating the problem. It could be the paint, countertops or cabinets. But, it is likely something.
No one yet has pointed a finger at carpet, hardwood or ceramic. But, you can be sure that lawyers hired by Chinese drywall companies have hired “independent” laboratories to test every product in the home to deflect their guilt. To that point, Georgia Pacific has already been named in a lawsuit and they neither manufacture or source drywall in China. Perhaps that’s the point.
The issue is the Chinese government and drywall industry have the capacity to ensure another product is complicit. Be forewarned, flooring is an easy and obvious target.
Chris
Christopher P. Ramey
President, Affluent Insights
Chairman, The Luxury Marketing Council Florida
Added 9/21/09: In a desert's town walls, an ever deeper mystery from HeraldTribune.com
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