U.S. mounting hardware company complains of drywall moisture December 22, 2009

One of the latest complaints to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) regarding Chinese drywall comes from a major distributor of hardware to hang pictures, Monkey Hook.  According to this article, a letter was written by a company representative to the CPSC urging additional investigations, specifically aimed at “structural integrity.”  The problem in this context is allegedly the presence of moisture.  The logistics of imported Chinese drywall is such that lengthy Ocean voyages are needed to import, thus exposing it to potential sources of moisture.

The scientific investigations that have been performed by the CPSC and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have primarily focused on the corrosion of metals and toxic gasses/fumes that have been reported from a wide array of states.  The CPSC has in fact confirmed a link between corrosion and the presence of Chinese manufactured drywall.  According to some, a corollary issue to the noxious fumes may be the presence of humidity.  As one industry representative explained, moisture may play a role in speeding up the process of the release of fumes.

Deciphering the causes of hardware failures with regard to industries that manufacture, distribute or sell products that assume quality drywall is in place is important when assessing whether the products those businesses themselves produce are faulty.  For example, Monkey Hook has expressed that the hardware they distribute relies on drywall rather than a “stud” to provide support.  The consequences are that their products suffer load capacity variations.  The presence of defective drywall has been referred to as an “uncontrollable variable” that may or may not be covered by warranty provisions.