A normal day, a normal home inspection. I had gathered my information from a client converstion over the phone, scheduled the appointment, a voice without a face and most of the time never putting a face to the voice. This day was different, in that the client was going to arrive at the end of the inspection to run over my findings and pay for the service rendered. More often than not, the client will end our phone conversation with, “Do you inspect for Chinese Drywall?” My client, today, was more concerned about Chinese Drywall than the normal inspection, seeking information. Mrs. Jones, I’ll call her by this name, was a retired school teacher who had lost her husband in a motorcycle accident six years earlier. After Mrs. Jones lost her husband, she had built and moved into a new home, hoping it to be her last. A beautiful home, it was, decorated with lifetime treasures and memories. Unbeknown to Mrs. Jones, she was living in a house with Sick Building Syndrom. I mean, this beautifully custom built home was litterally making her sick. The building contractor had ordered a shipment of drywall, the same way he had done, many times before. He had no idea that he was now installing Chinese Drywall. Mrs. Jones moved in and began having severe respiratory problems She traveled from Doctor to Doctor. She was very tiny and frail at our inspection and had recenty returned from an extended stay in the hospital in Texas. She was growing stronger at our meeting.
I finished the inspection, explained my findings, especially that this house did not contain Chinese Drywall and we parted company.
I called Mrs. Jones, after I had arrived back at the office and asked if I might inspect some vital areas of this house, built with Chinese Drywall. She welcomed me over and allowed me to inspect behind switch and outlet coverplates. I removed the interior electrical sub panel cover and the evidence of Chinese Drywall was overwhelming. All visible copper wiring was of a dark grey/black color. I then proceeded into the attic to open up the heat pump air handler. Even before removing the cover door, copper entrance tubing, to unit, was coated with the same dark grey/black color.
After closing the unit, I then began removing and pushing away insulation from between the ceiling rafters and discovered the last part of the puzzel. There stamped on each sheet of installed drywall were the words, “Knauf”, and next to the distributers name was stamped, China.
What was left to say…Mrs. Jones was on the list of many who had filed a class action lawsuit, trying to recoup a portion of her life savings. Until then, Mrs. Jones will be moving into another house, not her dream home, whatching and waiting the wheel of justice move slowly.
If you should sense your house is making you sick, call for a quote. We Inspect and Test for Toxic Chinese Drywall.
Jerome Cartier
Cartier Fine home Inspections
(251)490-3212
Mobile & Baldwin Counties, Alabama
Home Savvy 
