Re: Chinese drywall

[Guest guest]

Google chinese drywall and chinese drywall problems. The problems are very

serious. They could make your home uninhabitable.

consider asking for the mold resistant drywall. I know nothing about it, but it

may be a bit more expensive than the standard drywall.

YOU tell the contractor what you want, he tells you the price, and you agree opr

not. If you want a higher priced product, but can't or won't pay for it, you

have to go with what you can afford. If the contractor doesn't know the

materials he's using and paying for for your job, consider getting someone who

does.

You do what you can to make sure your contractor is using what you agreed to PAY

for by being familiar enough with the product to recognise it.

aren't you right there, and able to look in on them?

As aside here: Different kinds of contractors do different " kinds " of work. Of

the people I had come estimated $3000 to 5000 to do the job.

Two others had much lower prices, and the one I hired was a handyman who worked

with me, that I felt I had more control over. He knew what he was doing, and did

the needed work, making suggestions and working with me.

The first guy planned to rip out and replace the cabinets, but with no

investigation, so any problems behind the sheetrock would not have been solved.

The others were remodelers/repair type people, but still more than I could

afford, who wanted to do more than I thought necessary, and would have resented

any suggestion I made.

I took a chance with the handyman, but I had a good idea of what was needed and

he had done much other work for me, so I know his skill set and we were used to

each other.

We solved the problem with a little elbow grease, recycled and new materials,

our combined intelligence, and a couple hundred bucks.

You don't HAVE to be comfortable with the person you hire, but if you're not,

you may not be comfortable with his work.

Ella

>

> What exactly is the problem with Chinese drywall and how do I make sure my

contractor is not going to use it?

> I'm fixing my kitchen up next week and saw a post on another site and realized

this might be a problem for me. Should I ask the contractor to use wonderboard

only (that stuff they use for bathrooms)?

> Can I trust a contractor to tell me what he is using? Or maybe he doesn't even

know for sure?

> Help! Thanks and a very happy Christmas to everyone!

> Surella

>

[Guest guest]

I would want to find out what makes mold resistant drywall " mold

resistant " . If it's a bunch of toxic chemicals, that may be trading one

problem for another, not sure what the solution is...

sue

>

>Google chinese drywall and chinese drywall problems. The problems are

>very serious. They could make your home uninhabitable.

>

>consider asking for the mold resistant drywall. I know nothing about it,

>but it may be a bit more expensive than the standard drywall.

[Guest guest]

googled:

Mold resistant drywall is one of the better innovations in the often moribund

world of drywall technology. Instead of the traditional paper facing for the

inner slabs of gypsum, fiberglass mat is substituted. The main benefit of mold

resistant drywall is that moisture doesn't have the chance to feed on the

organic materials which comprise paper-backed drywall.

Ella

>

> I would want to find out what makes mold resistant drywall " mold

> resistant " . If it's a bunch of toxic chemicals, that may be trading one

> problem for another, not sure what the solution is...

>

> sue

>

> >

> >Google chinese drywall and chinese drywall problems. The problems are

> >very serious. They could make your home uninhabitable.

> >

> >consider asking for the mold resistant drywall. I know nothing about it,

> >but it may be a bit more expensive than the standard drywall.

>

[Guest guest]

HI Ella,

I'm not sure what fiberglass mat is, whether this is a solid slab of

fiberglass or spun fiberglass like in insulation, but I believe that

fiberglass insulation slowly deteriorates and gets into the air and our

lungs, another asbestos waiting to happen. I will never use fiberglass

insulation again, there are greener, safer alternatives now being used

for insulation, not sure what alternatives exist for doing walls... Not

trying to scare anyone away from the mold resistant drywall, just

suggest that you investigate it before using.

sue

>

>googled:

>Mold resistant drywall is one of the better innovations in the often

>moribund world of drywall technology. Instead of the traditional paper

>facing for the inner slabs of gypsum, fiberglass mat is substituted. The

>main benefit of mold resistant drywall is that moisture doesn't have the

>chance to feed on the organic materials which comprise paper-backed drywall.

>Ella

>

>

>>

>> I would want to find out what makes mold resistant drywall " mold

>> resistant " . If it's a bunch of toxic chemicals, that may be trading one

>> problem for another, not sure what the solution is...

>>

>> sue

>>

>> >

>> >Google chinese drywall and chinese drywall problems. The problems are

>> >very serious. They could make your home uninhabitable.

>> >

>> >consider asking for the mold resistant drywall. I know nothing about it,

>> >but it may be a bit more expensive than the standard drywall.

>>

>

>

[Guest guest]

When I had a house inspection done, a problem the inspector found was a small

area under the furnace. The furnaces in these houses sit on a shelf for the cold

air return, I suppose. In some houses, one wall is to the garage and needed

insulation. 15 Years ago, since that small portion-about 16 " high and maybe 30 "

long-was not seen, it did not get sheetrock on it. He listed that as needing

corrected, because the fiberglass could be sucked into the hvac and distributed

throughout the house. Apparently there was a lawsuit in Phoenix re injury from

that, in which the residents won big bucks, and the builders were required to

seal that area from then on.

Whether that would be a problem with sheetrock above the ceiling or behind

sheetrock I do not know. Good points, and maybe something to consider.

Ella

>

> HI Ella,

>

> I'm not sure what fiberglass mat is, whether this is a solid slab of

> fiberglass or spun fiberglass like in insulation, but I believe that

> fiberglass insulation slowly deteriorates and gets into the air and our

> lungs, another asbestos waiting to happen. I will never use fiberglass

> insulation again, there are greener, safer alternatives now being used

> for insulation, not sure what alternatives exist for doing walls... Not

> trying to scare anyone away from the mold resistant drywall, just

> suggest that you investigate it before using.

>

> sue

>

[Guest guest]

And I had a Trane furnace w/HEPA filter installed a number of years ago

and the installers actually removed fiberglass from the furnase as I

recall so that fiberglass can't circulate thru the air... sue

>When I had a house inspection done, a problem the inspector found was a

>small area under the furnace. The furnaces in these houses sit on a

[Guest guest]

Excellent point which brings me to my next question: I am VERY sensitive to

fiberglass insulation (I had some installed in the basement and it bothered my

eyes upstairs and I had to have it removed!) But the basement insulation was in

the open ceiling so now I'm wondering if the insulation gets covered by whatever

sheetrock I put in, will I feel it? I am terrified of insulation-my one

experience was horrible and costly and caused me alot of pain till I figured it

out.

So my question is, can insulation penetrate completely sealed sheetrock walls?

Keep in mind that the mold I probably have behind the walls now is penetrating

the sheetrock and causing me pain. I am constantly amazed at my ability to feel

completely invisible hidden things. This is so confusing-should I insulate?

>

> HI Ella,

>

> I'm not sure what fiberglass mat is, whether this is a solid slab of

> fiberglass or spun fiberglass like in insulation, but I believe that

> fiberglass insulation slowly deteriorates and gets into the air and our

> lungs, another asbestos waiting to happen. I will never use fiberglass

> insulation again, there are greener, safer alternatives now being used

> for insulation, not sure what alternatives exist for doing walls... Not

> trying to scare anyone away from the mold resistant drywall, just

> suggest that you investigate it before using.

>

> sue

>

>

[Guest guest]

why not explore other greener insulation alternatives, hemp is one, I

think old blue jeans might be another... my understanding, and I am no

expert, is that the fiberglass may eventually breakthru. Years ago a

cousin in France told us that people were removing fiberglass insulation

because it eventually breaks down and gets into the air, that's all I

know. sue

>Excellent point which brings me to my next question: I am VERY sensitive

>to fiberglass insulation (I had some installed in the basement and it

[Guest guest]

I saw on TV (This Old House) where soy insulation is a good choice.

 

Also, this is what I found on the net:

 

A new, greener generation of vegetable-based spray foams uses small amounts of

oils from soy, sugarcane, corn fructose and other botanical sources, plus a

minimum of 5 percent recycled content. Vegetable-based foams are blown with

water, carbon dioxide or hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which don't damage the ozone

layer.

 

The more environmentally sound versions of spray foams are low density, meaning

they also have a lower R-value, closer to the range of 3.2 to 4.5 per inch

rather than the 6 or 7 R-values found in denser, more toxic varieties. Despite

their lower R-value, they actually block air flow more effectively than other

types of insulation. Another drawback is that during installation foam

insulation outgases toxic chemicals. However, once it cures, it becomes inert.

 

Polyisocyanurate, another type of foam insulation, is a rigid foam that is good

for exterior retrofitting, often on roofs. It has an R-value of 6 to 7.5 per

inch. " Polyiso, " as it's called, was formerly created with ozone-depleting HCFCs

as blowing agents, but the new " green polyiso " uses hydrocarbons that don't emit

greenhouse gases.

 

Cementitious foam, a nonflammable, extremely stable insulation, is made of

magnesium oxide derived from seawater. When dry, it's inert and should have no

impact on chemically sensitive people.

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why not explore other greener insulation alternatives, hemp is one..... sue