Materials from China May Contain Impurities
Find out if your drywall, plaster, or sheetrock is emitting toxic gases.
Are you getting a rotten egg smell from your drywall? Was your house made between 2004 and 2006, or did you have remodeling done in that time? If so, you may have Chinese Drywall in your home. People have reported a foul smell in combination with corroded copper pipes, air conditioning coils, wiring, picture frames, and electronics. Lennar homes is replacing plaster in homes that it made using this kind of drywall, but they were not the only manufacturer.
Drywall is made with fly ash, which can contain sulfur dioxide and other sulfur compounds. Most of the main drywall problems have been reported in Florida and Louisiana, partially because of hurricane repairs made with the drywall, but also because these areas are more humid than California, Nevada, and Arizona, which also had construction booms at the same time. Humidity may release the sulfur compounds which can tarnish jewelry, and the health effects on humans are unknown. There are some reports of people leaving homes because the smell is overwhelming.
Notes and Special Information
Special note: Not all drywall from China and other countries is bad. Make sure that the drywall is from China and made by specific companies, or have it tested, because you don't want to replace the interior of your home if you don't have to, and nobody is going to pay for it if the rotten egg smell is coming from something else.