Bituminous Insurance Companies
Release Date: April 14, 2010
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) interagency task force released interim guidance to assist homeowners who want to repair homes with problem drywall. The CPSC recommends that consumers remove all possible problem drywall from their homes and replace electrical components and wiring, gas service piping, fire suppression sprinkler systems, and smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. To access the full text of the remediation guidance, visit the federal Drywall Information Center website at http://www.cpsc.gov/info/drywall/guidance0410.pdf.
This guidance is being released prior to the completion of investigations, which are underway. The CPSC stated that the guidance was being released now with the recognition that many homeowners want to begin the process of repairing their homes. "Taking these steps should help eliminate both the source of the problem drywall and corrosion-damaged components that might cause a safety problem in the home," HUD and CPSC said in a statement.
The CPSC also released a Preliminary Evaluation of Drywall Chamber Test Results performed by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). CPSC staff used the LBNL reported emission rates in a mathematical model to estimate the concentrations of chemicals in the indoor air of a home that might result from the presence of problem drywall. The report describes some less- than-desirable conditions regarding selection of samples for the study. Yet, the CPSC determined that the data provided some important information about chemicals being emitted from Chinese drywall that are not released in North American drywall. According to the CPSC, based on the preliminary results, the most salient difference between Chinese drywall and North American drywall is in the number and amount of reactive sulfur compounds emitted. The ongoing chamber studies will provide more comprehensive exposure information. The twenty-seven page preliminary evaluation is available for review at: http://www.cpsc.gov/info/drywall/chamber0310.pdf.
The CPSC also released a study performed by Environmental Health & Engineering Inc. at their request. The study was performed to determine if sulfur-reducing bacteria were present in Chinese drywall. Eight out of ten drywall samples tested showed no bacterial growth, including Chinese samples that emitted high levels of hydrogen sulfide in the LBNL study. One sample of Chinese drywall and one sample of U.S. drywall showed very low levels of sulfur-reducing bacterial growth. This two-page study can be reviewed at http://www.cpsc.gov/info/drywall/microbiol.pdf.
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The information contained in this publication was obtained from sources believed to be reliable. ISO Services Properties, Inc., its companies and employees make no guarantee of results and assume no liability in connection with either the information herein contained or the safety suggestions herein made. Moreover, it cannot be assumed that every acceptable safety procedure is contained herein or that abnormal or unusual circumstances may not warrant or require further or additional procedure.