The New York Times’ financial section, interestingly enough, did a report on how to know if your home contains Chinese drywall. While most of the signs have been featured in this blog, there are certain tips and tricks the article mentions that are unique and clever for detecting the presence of the dangerous gases that the toxic wallboard emits.
Jennifer Saranow Schultz notes
If your home has central air-conditioning, Danny Lipford, a television home improvement expert, recommends hanging a piece of silver jewelry or a silver utensil on a string in front of the return air filter and watching it over a few days to see if it corrodes. It’s a trick he learned about at a recent industry event.
According to Mr. Lipford, most of the Chinese drywall tends to be in homes that were built or remodeled in recent years by larger contractors and builders. The Consumer Product Safety Commission said it had received nearly 2,000 reports from residents in 30 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, most of whom said their homes were built in 2006 and 2007. The most reports have come from Florida.
If you suspect your home has Chinese drywall, Mr. Lipford suggests going into your attic and raking back insulation to see if you can find a made-in-China stamp or the name of a manufacturer, though not all Chinese drywall has such markings. You may also want to hire a building inspector to confirm the presence of the drywall, consult with a lawyer about your options and contact your home builder, who may be able to work something out with you. The Consumer Product Safety Commission also wants all consumers to report complaints here.
While, again, including many commonly known traits or facts regarding Chinese drywall, the article is an interesting piece and is highly recommended.