Feds Release Final Guide for Toxic Chinese Drywall -
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sept. 16, 2011 – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released their final remediation guidance for homeowners with toxic Chinese drywall. The guidance calls for the replacement of all problem drywall; smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms; electrical distribution components, including receptacles, switches and circuit breakers – but not necessarily wiring and fusible-type fire sprinkler heads. The update is based on a final study of long-term corrosion effects from problem drywall. Key findings • None of the studies performed on smoke alarms, fire sprinkler heads or gas service piping found corrosion associated with problem drywall as defined by the Consumer Product Safety Act. Some smoke alarms and fire sprinkler heads showed small changes generally within accepted industry standards. As a result, CPSC and HUD no longer recommend the removal of gas service piping in homes with problem drywall. This change may reduce the cost of remediation for many homes. However, the report continues to recommend that homeowners replace smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms as part of remediation. • The agencies recommend replacing all fusible-type fire sprinkler heads, because one fusible-type sprinkler head sample that had been exposed to accelerated corrosion did not activate when tested. However, this type of sprinkler head is generally found in commercial, rather than residential, applications. For additional findings from the Interagency Drywall Task Force’s investigation, visit www.DrywallResponse.gov. © 2011 Florida Realtors®