March 21, 2011
The FHA has issued a press release that addresses fixing “problem drywall” in homes including those purchased or intended to be purchased with FHA mortgage loans.
In May 2010, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission press release, “CPSC Identifies Manufacturers of Problem Drywall Made in China” identified a group of manufacturers, “whose drywall emitted high levels of hydrogen sulfide in testing conducted for the agency by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). There is a strong association between hydrogen sulfide and metal corrosion” according to the press release.
That corrosion had the potential to damage the electrical system in homes built with drywall made by the manufacturers named in the release. Could the value of, or the quality of life in, those homes be affected by the problem drywall?
The FHA issued remediation guidelines for the properties that included the removal of all electrical wiring that could be damaged by the hydrogen sulfide. But now there is an update and new recommendations by the FHA and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission–wiring replacement may no longer be required.
According to a press release from the FHA, “A study conducted on behalf of CPSC by Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico, finds no evidence of a safety hazard to home electrical systems. Sandia simulated long-term exposure of wiring and other electrical components to hydrogen sulfide gas, which is associated with problem drywall.”
“Based on this study, CPSC and HUD staff, representing the Interagency Task Force on Problem Drywall, are no longer recommending the removal of all electrical wiring in homes with problem drywall. This change in the government
Joe Wallace has been specializing in military and personal finance topics since 1995. His work has appeared on Air Force Television News, The Pentagon Channel, ABC and a variety of print and online publications. He is a 13-year Air Force veteran and a member of the Air Force Public Affairs Alumni Association. He was Managing editor for www.valoans.com for (8) years and is currently the Associate Editor for FHANewsblog.com.
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