CHINESE DRYWALL SCREENING, LLC
Inspections, Documentation, Consultation and Remediation from Leading Experts
Call Today - 772-224-8660
ABOUT US
WHO IS CHINESE DRYWALL SCREENING, LLC?
If you think you have Chinese Drywall, experience matters! Chinese Drywall Screening, LLC, is a professional engineering firm with one of the most experienced team of inspectors and consultants in the country covering Florida and the Southeast. Since 2009, our team of inspectors have inspected more than 3,900 homes and commercial properties with over a 1,000 cases filed in legal proceedings dealing with the corrosive Chinese drywall. CDS, LLC has been at the forefront of this evolving issue since the very beginning and has been inspecting properties and helping owners for more than 16 years.
Howard Ehrsam, P.E. is the Principal and founder that been involved in all aspects of design and development for over 30 years. He utilizes his extensive experience to provide the best and most valuable advice for every unique situation.
WHAT WE DO
When you entrust our team to inspect your property you can expect top quality service and exceptional customer care. Our services include:
- Chinese drywall inspections with drywall label identification
- X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) for strontium to non-destructively identify the different manufactures
- Mapping the locations of the corrosive drywall
- Preservation of Evidence
- Post Remediation Verification / Environmental Certification
- Environmental Corrosion Testing
- Remediation Services and Consulting
HELP EVERY STEP OF THE WAY
If we do find corrosive Chinese drywall, we can help develop a strategy with you to help resolve this issue. We understand how overwhelming it can be to discover your home has Chinese drywall, but we will be your advocate. Regardless of your situation, we have experienced it personally and/or professionally and will help you every step of the way.
COULD I HAVE CHINESE DRYWALL?
Was your property built or renovated between 2001-2008?
During these years, the corrosive Chinese drywall (CDW) was used to build and renovate tens of thousands of residential and commercial properties
Do you notice a certain smell or odor?
Corrosive Chinese drywall can sometimes give off a distinct odor. The severity of the odor can depend on which brand of corrosive Chinese drywall you may have in your property.
Have you had to replace your A/C coils?
Are your faucets corroding or have black spots?
Copper A/C coils are one of the first areas to check if you think you have corrosive drywall. The coils can have a blackened residue. The severity of the blackening will depend on how much and what type of CDW is in the property. You may also see this type of blackening on your electrical wires.
Are your faucets corroding or have black spots?
Are your faucets corroding or have black spots?
CDW can also corrode faucets and other plumbing trim. It may also desilver the edges of mirrors or cause a halo effect.
Have you noticed blackening on your copper plumbing lines?
Just like the A/C coils, copper plumbing components and water lines are also susceptible to the corrosion caused by CDW.
If you answered yes, then you may have Chinese drywall.
While other factors can also cause similiar issues, our Chinese Drywall Screening's experts can determine if the issues are being caused by corrosive CDW using our proven testing protocol.
I HAVE CHINESE DRYWALL, NOW WHAT?
MAPPING THE DRYWALL
POST REMEDIATION VERIFICATION (PRV)
PRESERVATION OF EVIDENCE
Mapping is a very detailed process where the inspector analyzes every wall of the property to determine which walls/ ceilings need to be removed and cleaned of all drywall, dust and debris. This service is critical if you are preparing to remediate the property. The walls will be marked with permanent marker alerting the contractor which walls/ceilings/areas must be removed and the areas behind thoroughly cleaned. Here is a video walkthrough of a property with domestic, corrosive Chinese and non-corrosive Chinese drywall: https://youtu.be/AXJL4jqVjnU
PRESERVATION OF EVIDENCE
POST REMEDIATION VERIFICATION (PRV)
PRESERVATION OF EVIDENCE
Preserving evidence is needed to protect your interests if you are pursing any type of legal action. The Pre-Trial Order No. 1(I) through the United States District Court Eastern District of Louisiana must be strictly followed. Having an independent third party professional properly preserving your evidence is critical. If this is not performed or done correctly, you could jeopardize the evidence. The manufacturers and suppliers may claim the evidence was damaged and avoid compensating your for your losses.
CDS, LLC will obtain, document and store (if needed) the evidence per the pre-trial order on your behalf.
POST REMEDIATION VERIFICATION (PRV)
POST REMEDIATION VERIFICATION (PRV)
ENVIRONMENTAL CORROSION TESTING (ECT)
This is probably one of the smartest steps you can take if you are planning to remediate a property with corrosive Chinese drywall. CDS works for the owner, providing an independent, 3rd party inspection by a licensed engineer that includes detailed documentation verifying that properties are free and clear from reactive or corrosive drywall.
Our company does a complete inspection BEFORE the new drywall is replaced to ensure the all the corrosive drywall, dust, and debris were properly removed. If the drywall was not removed properly, CDS will instruct the contractor on what is deficient and make sure corrections are made. Once everything is completed you will receive an Environmental Certificate signed and sealed by a licensed Professional Engineer. This documentation is critical if you ever plan to sell or refinance the property.
ENVIRONMENTAL CORROSION TESTING (ECT)
ENVIRONMENTAL CORROSION TESTING (ECT)
ENVIRONMENTAL CORROSION TESTING (ECT)
Another option is Environmental Corrosion Testing (ECT). With this sevice several ECT devices are set inside the main areas of the property and fan(s) are utilized to circulate the air to ensure there were no stagnant pockets of air. The property must remain vacant and can not be entered during the entire testing process. The testing is seven (7) days. Various measures were taken to prevent other potential sources of sulfide gases interfering with the testing. Other potential sources include sewer gases, gas burning appliances, kerosene heaters, wood or coal stoves, tobacco smoke, malfunctioning chimney’s and outside air entering inside the property.
After the testing period is completed the coupons are then analyzed using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) to quantify the sulfur deposits on the coupons in ug/cm2 (micrograms per square centimeter). Readings can then be interpreted to determine the presence of sulfide gases that may be present within the subject property. A non-detect (ND) reading upon analyzing the test coupons indicates there are no detectable sulfur deposits on the surface of the coupons. This helps lead to the conclusion there are no sulfide gases present at any significant or detectable levels during the course of the exposure period. Positive readings for sulfur are compared against various controls and environmental conditions to draw comparisons and interpret results.
See our video section for a walk through of this process.
REMEDIATION SERVICES & CONSULTING
ENVIRONMENTAL CORROSION TESTING (ECT)
REMEDIATION SERVICES & CONSULTING
When you are ready to remediate your Chinese drywall property, CDS, LLC's unique level of experience with this issue, makes us an excellent choice to repair your home.
One of the biggest areas of concern is how many properties we have inspected that were remediated incorrectly. We have found remaining CDW drywall that was missed along with dust and debris in the cavities. There is a very detailed cleaning protocol as well to ensure the property is free of CDW. This is one of the reasons we’ve decide to expand our business to include this important service.
We are specializing in selective remediations that could result in a huge cost savings for anyone planning to remediate. For those that this is possible, we will only remove the corrosive drywall and leave the non-corrosive, domestic drywall. We have a detailed protocol for determining and verifying which drywall can be saved and all remaining drywall is verified as non-corrosive during demo. The work is tricky, but utilizing our extensive experience with Chinese drywall, along with our construction and engineering experience, there are many innovative ways to trim scope and save money. Once the demolition and cleaning protocol is completed and the property inspected, we will provide you with an Environmental Certificate sealed and stamped by our Professional Engineer verifying the corrosive drywall has been removed.
If you are interested in remediating contact: lisa@chinesedrywallscreening.com. As every home is different, the first step will be to perform a detailed scope and estimate for your property customized to maximize cost savings. The fee for the estimates will vary due to the size of the property. The estimate and scope provide a detailed cost and task breakdown for the entire process from demolition to reconstruction of the property. It breaks downs the components of the job including labor to materials needed to complete the remediation. If you use CDS, LLC for the remediation, this amount will be deducted from the overall fee. If you decide to use a different contractor this scope and estimate will be in excel format and can be easily shared with a contractor of your choosing. If you do decide to use a different contractor, make sure the company is well versed in the remediation and cleaning protocols required with Chinese drywall properties.