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Warning – Poison Many Foreclosure/Short Sale homes on the market today are “manufactured homes” that were built by production builders during the recent real estate boom. Unfortunately poisoned Chinese Drywall made it into the USA and into the hands of many production builders who used it in the construction of homes that are being sold today. The recent housing boom in the past decade led to a dramatic shortage of U.S.-manufactured drywall. To keep up with demand, builders turned to manufacturers in China. American construction companies imported the drywall, also known as wallboard or gypsum board, at the height of the housing boom, when building materials were in short supply. Normally drywall is made purely from the stone-like mineral gypsum, and emits no gas or odor. But health officials now suspect at least some of the Chinese product was contaminated with dangerous chemicals, chemicals that have not only damaged homes but cause unknown health risks, CBS News reports. A document obtained by CBS News shows that by 2006, 228 million kilograms - about 500 million pounds - was imported into the U.S. from 20 companies in China. The drywall apparently causes a chemical reaction releasing fumes that reek like rotten eggs and grows worse with heat and humidity exposure. The drywall has been linked to corrosion of wiring, air conditioning units, computers, doorknobs and jewelry, along with possible health effects. Some samples of the Chinese-made product emit 100 times as much hydrogen sulfide as drywall made elsewhere. Consumer Products Safety Commission continues to investigate possible health effects, but preliminary studies have found a possible link between throat, nose and lung irritation and high levels of hydrogen sulfide gas emitted from the wallboard, coupled with formaldehyde, which is commonly found in new homes. About 2,100 homeowners have filed suit in federal court in New Orleans against Chinese manufacturers and U.S. companies that sold the drywall. U.S. District Judge Eldon Fallon is expected to rule soon in a pivotal case against the Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin Co., the only Chinese company that has responded to U.S. suits. At least three insurers have already canceled or refused to renew policies after homeowners sought their help replacing the bad wallboard. Because mortgage companies require homeowners to insure their properties, they are then at risk of foreclosure, yet no law prevents the cancellations. An estimated 60,000 homes nationwide - primarily in southern states and California - could be affected by the defective drywall reports CBS Evening News. They are heavily concentrated in the Southeast, especially Florida and areas of Louisiana and Mississippi hit hard by Hurricane Katrina. Is it possible that the short sale/foreclosure you are about to buy contains Chinese Drywall? Ask your Realtor and Home Inspector straight up, if they can give you a written guarantee that the house was not built with poisoned Chinese Drywall. SACRAMENTO, CA - DECEMBER 2: NorthWoods subcontractor Doug Joellenbeck repairs mold damage in a foreclosed home December 2, 2008 in Sacramento, California. Many foreclosed homes need substantial repairs........
Florida Green Homes, LLC, builds homes that DO NOT contain poisoned materials, DO NOT emit poisoned components and our homes are certified by Florida Green Building Coalition as Green, Ecologically Friendly and Healthy to live in. |
