Proposed drywall fixes conflict, confuse

MANATEE — Competing, and sometimes conflicting, guidelines for fixing homes containing corrosive Chinese drywall have left homeowners, homebuilders and others confused and in limbo.

Should they remove all drywall, regardless of whether it’s Chinese, as a federal judge in New Orleans ruled in a recent case? Or should they take out only drywall that has been determined to be “problematic” and leave the rest behind if practical, as the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends?

What about electrical wiring? The federal judge and the federal agency say replace it all, while the National Association of Homebuilders advocates replacing all low-voltage wiring — such as in alarm systems and garage-door controls — and only the damaged ends of high-voltage wiring.

Those and other differences among the various remediation protocols — plus the proliferation of remedies offered by private companies — underscore the still-evolving nature of the Chinese drywall saga. It also signals that a conclusive standard remains elusive and possibly unattainable, experts say.

“There’s always going to be different protocols because there are different needs and intentions behind each one,” said Gary Rosen, a Davie environmental/construction expert who has been studying Chinese drywall. “That’s why there’s not going to be a one-size-fits-all protocol.”

The homebuilders’ group was first to try, releasing in mid-March what it calls “evolving solutions.” The consumer safety agency, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, followed with a set of interim guidelines on April 2. Exactly one week later, U.S. District Court Judge Eldon Fallon issued his remediation ruling in a test case from Virginia.

All agree that corrosive Chinese drywall must be ripped out and replaced. They differ on what to do with non-Chinese wallboard.

The federal agencies said only “problematic” drywall must be taken out, leaving the possibility that non-corrosive drywall can remain. The homebuilders recommend removing all drywall unless it’s confined to a contained area and there are no signs of corrosion in air-conditioning coils.

“We all have the skills to remodel and deal with the removal of corrosive drywall,” Bruce Hallock of Marsh USA Inc., the risk-management firm that developed the homebuilders’ guidance, said in a statement.

Fallon’s ruling said it was more efficient and cost-effective to take out all drywall, saying “it is virtually impossible to detect with reasonable accuracy which is and which is not Chinese drywall” without cutting into it. He also said the drywall must be removed anyway to replace the electrical, plumbing and air-conditioning systems.

Experts split on methods

The protocols also differ on how much electrical wiring should be replaced as a result of damage caused by sulfuric gases emitted by corrosive drywall.