Update: CPSC opens Drywall Information Center

Another Whopper ad bomb
Hindu blessing meat sandwich

Since its initial findings that Chinese drywall contains substances less present in U.S. drywall or not present at all, the CPSC has worked with its Chinese counterpart to pursue the case after hundreds report the building material is sickening.

by Broderick Perkins
© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com

Unauthorized use of this story is a copyright violation -- a federal crime

Deadline Newsroom - The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), recently set up a Web site to keep consumers, drywall manufacturers, builders and other apprised of its investigation into the latest problematic Chinese import, drywall used to build homes.

Drywall imported from China, blamed for rotten egg odors, fast metal corrosion and health problems for some homeowners, contains sulfur and other materials not found in U.S. made drywall, according to preliminary federal tests.

CPSC's Drywall Information Center offers updates (online and via email) on the investigation, help for homeowners trying to determine if their drywall is making them sick, where drywall problems have been reported and other related information.

Preliminary research from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found the Chinese-made drywall contained sulfur, which is not in U.S. drywall, but widely used in black gunpowder, matches, insecticides and fungicides.

EPA tests also found strontium, (a metallic element that is highly reactive chemically, including, in a finely powdered state, spontaneous ignition at room temperature) at levels 10 times as high as in U.S. drywall.

The EPA also found two other organic compounds, generally found in acrylic paint, but not in U.S.-made wallboard. They were
• propanoic acid, 2-methyl-, 2,2-dimethyl-1-(2-hydroxy-1-methylethyl) propyl ester
• propanoic acid, 2-methyl-, 3-hydroxy-2,4,4-trimethylpentyl ester.
latest, potentially explosive, problematic import.

Since those findings, the CPSC has worked with their Chinese counterpart, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) and hope to visit Chinese gypsum ore mining and wall board manufacturing facilities. CPSC also hosted Chinese officials visiting homes in Florida and Louisiana.

Some 36,000 homes in Florida, as well as additional properties in post-Hurricane Katrina Louisiana and Virginia, Alabama, Mississippi and California, were constructed with the Chinese-made material, recently found to be quite different from U.S.-made drywall.

CPSC is also investigating complaints, tracking imports, analyzing health effects, air sampling 50 homes, collecting samples and otherwise pursing the investigation.

The questionable residential building material has been installed in some 100,000 homes nationwide according to U.S. Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL), whose high number of complaining constituents put him at spearhead of an effort to learn more about the suspect drywall.

The case has drawn class action and builder-originated suits against suppliers and manufacturers.

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© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com

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You are reading a sample of "News that really hits home!", now available from several beats and published in a growing number of locations.

Broderick Perkins, an award-winning consumer journalist, parlayed 30 years of old-school journalism into a digital real estate news service, the San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews Group, including DeadlineNews.Com, a real estate news and consulting service and Web site, and the Deadline Newsroom, DeadlineNews.Com's news back shop.

Perkins is also the first Examiner to cover three beats for the Examiner.com news service:
• National Offbeat News Examiner
• National Consumer News Examiner
• National Real Estate Examiner

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Chinese drywall latest, potentially explosive, problematic import

Va voom! 'Hottest First Lady'

Consumers complain Chinese drywall stinks, corrodes, makes them sick. EPA finds it unlike US-made drywall. Investigation to continue and likely find real problems.

by Broderick Perkins
© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com


Unauthorized use of this story is a copyright violation -- a federal crime

Deadline Newsroom - Drywall imported from China, blamed for rotten egg odors, fast metal corrosion and health problems for some homeowners, contains sulfur and other materials not found in U.S. made drywall, according to preliminary federal tests.

The questionable residential building material has been installed in some 100,000 homes nationwide according to U.S. Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL), whose high number of complaining constituents put him at spearhead of an effort to learn more about the suspect drywall.

Some 36,000 homes in Florida, as well as additional properties in post-Hurricane Katrina Louisiana and Virginia, Alabama, Mississippi and California, were constructed with the Chinese-made material, recently found to be quite different from U.S.-made drywall.

With the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) the lead federal agency looking into complaints surrounding Chinese drywall, preliminary research from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found the Chinese-made drywall contained sulfur, which is not in U.S. drywall, but widely used in black gunpowder, matches, insecticides and fungicides.

EPA tests also found strontium, (a metallic element that is highly reactive chemically, including, in a finely powdered state, spontaneous ignition at room temperature) at levels 10 times as high as in U.S. drywall.

The EPA also found two other organic compounds, generally found in acrylic paint, but not in U.S.-made wallboard. They were
• propanoic acid, 2-methyl-, 2,2-dimethyl-1-(2-hydroxy-1-methylethyl) propyl ester
• propanoic acid, 2-methyl-, 3-hydroxy-2,4,4-trimethylpentyl ester.

The preliminary tests were only designed to find differences in the imported drywall and U.S.-made drywall, after scores of homeowners complained of smelly odors, respiratory health problems, and corroding wiring, metal, jewelry and mirrors.

With class action and builder-originated suits swelling against suppliers and manufacturers, hundreds of homeowners complained to Florida's Department of Health, which offers a host of informational materials, including

• Frequently Asked Questions Web page.
• A Drywall Issues Timeline, outlining the sequence of events.
• A do-it-yourself Step-by-Step Self-Assessment Guide for signs that a home may be affected by drywall imported from China.
• Much additional help.

Along with Nelson, U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) has sponsored appropriations legislation for more CPSC funds so it can further investigate the matter.

"In the end, I think all this stuff is going to have to be ripped out," Nelson said.

"Sen. Nelson and I are continuing to work closely with federal officials to get answers for families with sick children and pets, construction workers and builders removing the product, and local health officials who are concerned with dumping the drywall in their landfills ."

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© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com

Need a break from doom and gloom in the housing market? Get off the beaten news track and stop by the DeadlineNews Group's Offbeat News Examiner outlet for a few laughs.

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Home safe home for the holidays

Holiday News That Really Hits Home: The key to any security effort is based on a simple premise -- if you don't make yourself a target, chances are, you won't be a victim.


by Broderick Perkins
© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com


Unauthorized use of this story is a copyright violation -- a federal crime.

Deadline Newsroom - It's buying time.

The holiday season includes more people carting more stuff around in their car and getting more deliveries left at their door than any other time of the year.

Theoretically, a Neighborhood Watch can put more eyes on the street, but you may not always know if that visitor is neighbor's guest or a prowler looking for a heist.

The key to any security effort is based on a simple premise -- if you don't make yourself a target, chances are, you won't be a victim.

• Never leave items in your car, even for brief periods, unless it's concealed in the trunk or other area out of sight. If there's nothing to see, there's nothing to steal.

Thieves don't have your value system. What you believe is worthless could prompt a crook to smash your window for a quick grab. Plain-view-goodies amount to a Vegas jackpot for thieves looking to score five-finger discounts without the sweat of shopping around.

• Don't have packages left at your front door, especially if your door can be seen from the street or outside the community. Have someone pick up packages for you when you know they are due to arrive. Know when packages will arrive by tracking them with online tracking services offered by the United States Postal Service (USPS), United Parcel, Fed Ex, DHL and other carriers.

• Likewise, stop package, newspaper and other deliveries when you are away on vacation, for business or for other extended periods. It gives your house sitter fewer tasks to perform, it gives you piece of mind and it gives potential pilferers nothing to grab.



Chris E. McGoey, the "Crime Doctor" offers these additional home security tips for all.

• Burglars look for occupancy cues like outdoor lights burning 24 hours a day, piled up newspapers, or advertising fliers hanging on the door knob. Use an inexpensive light timer.

• Burglars know to look for the hidden door key near the front entrance. Don't hide spare keys under rocks, in flowerpots, or above door ledges. Give the spare key to a trusted neighbor.

• Burglars prefer to enter through unlocked doors or windows. Sliding windows that are not secure can be seen from distance. Running outdoor Christmas light extension cords from an open window or door prevents it from being secured. Hire an electrician or handyman to install an inexpensive exterior outlet for your holiday lights.

• Don't post your family name on your mailbox or on your house. A burglar can call directory assistance, if your number is listed and call your home while in front of your house to confirm that you are away.

• Don't leave descriptive telephone answering machine messages that say you are away. Burglars appreciate knowing they have plenty of time to break in and ransack your home.

• After the holidays don't pile up empty gift boxes from your new iPod, high density DVD player, or big screen flat panel TV on the street for the garbage man and let burglars know what's inside your home. Break them down or cut them up to conceal the items better. After a lucrative burglary, the chances of being burglarized again are heightened. The crook assumes you've got replacement items.

• Keep your home fortified with solid core doors, heavy duty dead bolt locks, longer screws in the lock strike plates and door hinges, and secondary security devices on all accessible sliding windows.

For more info: Gifts that really hit home

© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com

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Get news that really hits home for your Web site or blog from DeadlineNews.Com.

Broderick Perkins, an award-winning consumer journalist, parlayed 30 years of old-school journalism into a digital real estate news service, the San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews Group -- DeadlineNews.Com, a real estate news and consulting service and Web site and the Deadline Newsroom, DeadlineNews.Com's news back shop. Perkins is also a National Real Estate Examiner. All the news that really hits home from three locations -- that's location, location, location!

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Shoring Up Your Garage Door

If your garage door is 10 years old or older, you may need a new one or an added entrapment protection system to keep your family and visitors out of harms way.

by Broderick Perkins
© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com

Deadline Newsroom - Even garages get their day, well, actually 30 of them.

June is Garage Door Safety Month, but that doesn't mean you should relegate one month to the topic.

The idea is to give a month of concentrated attention to fact that the garage door is likely the largest moving object in the home, it's typically used every day and can be potentially lethal, especially to small kids. It always needs attention.

Since January 1993, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has required that all garage door openers have an external entrapment protection system. This typically is some electronic eye or sensor that will trigger the door to brake and reverse itself before it hits anything detected in its path.

It prevents accidental entrapment, injury or death.

Many older garage doors are quaint fixtures providing good architectural form, but their function may allow them to reverse only after a collision -- and that can be quite a hard crash -- or they don't reverse at all. If your garage door is more than 10 years old, consider upgrading, says the CPSC, and replace pre-1982 garage door openers that do not reverse.

The mandate for the improved safety feature in current standards has significantly reduced personal injury and property damage so much so that in 2001 the standard was extended to include automated security gates that are increasingly common at the entrances of multifamily housing communities.

An optional safety feature includes a constant contact control button which requires a person to hold in or onto the control button continuously for the garage door to close completely. If the button is released before the door closes, the door reverses and opens to the highest position. The remote control transmitter will not close the door with this option. However, the hands-on option allows -- or forces the operator to see -- that the door is closed with no one in danger of collision or entrapment and that no one unwanted has ventured inside.

The mandate also calls for manufacturers to include a sticker warning consumers of the potential entrapment hazard. The sticker is to be placed near the wall-mounted control button.

As an added precaution, you should mount the keypad wall control out of children's reach -- at least five feet from the floor -- and in a location where users can clearly see the moving door.

CPSC also says you should also test your garage door each month. Your owner's manual or manufacturer can provide you with the testing procedure specific to your garage door make and model. It will also provide safe operating times, maintenance you can perform, emergency procedures and other safety tips.

During the monthly testing you should also visually inspect the garage door, its springs, cables, rollers and pulleys for signs of wear. Do not attempt to remove, adjust or repair these parts or anything attached to them, because the parts are under high tension. A trained door repairman should make adjustments or repairs.

Other safety tips from CPSC the International Door Association (IDA) and the Door & Access Systems Manufacturers Association (DASMA) include:

• Keep kids well clear of garage doors. Don't let them beat or bang on the door or operate it with the control panel or remote control. Teach kids to not to place their fingers between the door sections or consider a door that doesn't pinch.

• Never leave the garage partially open. When activated again, it may travel downward and come in contact with an object in its path. This is also a home-invasion security risk. To prevent security risks, don't leave the garage door unopened when the garage is unattended.

• Never leave the remote control in the car or with a parking attendant. If its stolen, the thief has easy access to your home. Consider using a key chain remote programmed to your vehicle.

• Unplug the garage door opener and use an optional system that renders the remote unusable for periods when you are away.

• If your opener does not have rolling-code technology, which changes the access codes each time the opener is used to prevent code grabbing, consider investing in a new system that does or remember to regularly change the manufacturer's standard access codes on the opener and remote control.

• Read about other home safety, security and health issues on DeadlineNews.Com.

© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com

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Broderick Perkins, an award-winning consumer journalist of 30 years, is publisher and executive editor of San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews.Com, a real estate news and consulting service, and the new Deadline Newsroom, DeadlineNews.Com's new backshop. In both cases, it's where all the news really hits home.

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Holiday Security For High-Density Living

Holiday News That Really Hits Home

by Broderick Perkins
© 2007 DeadlineNews.Com

Deadline Newsroom - It's buying time.

The holiday season includes more people carting more stuff around in their car and getting more deliveries left at their door than any other time of the year.

And that poses a unique security dilemma for high-density living, where a cast of hundreds can work for you or against you.
Theoretically, a Neighborhood Watch can put more eyes on the street in a concentrated high-density area than in a single-family development with the same footprint, but you may not always know if that visitor is neighbor's guest or a prowler looking for a heist.

The key to any security effort is based on a simple premise -- if you don't make yourself a target, chances are, you won't be a victim.

• Never leave items in your car, even for brief periods, unless it's concealed in the truck or other area out of sight. If there's nothing to see, there's nothing to steal.

Thieves don't have your value system. What you believe is worthless could prompt a crook to smash your window for a quick grab. Plain-view-goodies amount to a Vegas jackpot for thieves looking to score five-finger discounts without the sweat of shopping around.

• Don't have packages left at your front door, especially if your door can be seen from the street or outside the community. Have someone pick up packages for you when you know they are due to arrive. Know when packages will arrive by tracking them with online tracking services offered by the United States Postal Service (USPS), United Parcel, Fed Ex, DHL and other carriers.

• Likewise, stop package, newspaper and other deliveries when you are away on vacation, for business or for other extended periods. It gives your house sitter fewer tasks to perform, it gives you piece of mind and it gives potential pilferers nothing to grab.

Chris E. McGoey, the "Crime Doctor" offers these additional home security tips for all.

• Burglars look for occupancy cues like outdoor lights burning 24 hours a day, piled up newspapers, or advertising flyers hanging on the door knob. Use an inexpensive light timer.

• Burglars know to look for the hidden door key near the front entrance. Don't hide spare keys under rocks, in flowerpots, or above door ledges. Give the spare key to a trusted neighbor.

• Burglars prefer to enter through unlocked doors or windows. Sliding windows that are not secure can be seen from distance. Running outdoor Christmas light extension cords from an open window or door prevents it from being secured. Hire an electrician or handyman to install an inexpensive exterior outlet for your holiday lights.

• Don't post your family name on your mailbox or on your house. A burglar can call directory assistance, if your number is listed and call your home while in front of your house to confirm that you are away.

• Don't leave descriptive telephone answering machine messages that say you are away. Burglars appreciate knowing they have plenty of time to break in and ransack your home.

• After the holidays don't pile up empty gift boxes from your new iPod, high density DVD player, or big screen flat panel TV on the street for the garbage man and let burglars know what's inside your home. Break them down or cut them up to conceal the items better. After a lucrative burglary, the chances of being burglarized again are heightened. The crook assumes you've got replacement items.

• Keep your home fortified with solid core doors, heavy duty dead bolt locks, longer screws in the lock strike plates and door hinges, and secondary security devices on all accessible sliding windows.

More Holiday News That Really Hits Home

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© 2007 DeadlineNews.Com

Broderick Perkins, an award-winning consumer journalist of 30 years, is publisher and executive editor of San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews.Com, a real estate news and consulting service, and the new Deadline Newsroom, DeadlineNews.Com's new backshop. In both cases, it's where all the news really hits home.

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'Tis The Season, Defer Maintenance No Longer

Holiday News That Really Hits Home

by Broderick Perkins
© 2007 DeadlineNews.Com

Deadline Newsroom - Things get crazy around the holidays.

All the shopping, decking the halls and visions of sugar plums can cause homeowners to lose focus and overlook issues that can turn a season of joy into a season of oops.

The American Society of Homeowners (ASHI) says it doesn't have to be that way and offers a Top 10 list to remind busy homeowners that just a few minutes a day can help keep the ghost of deferred maintenance away.

"Homes are the centers of activity during the holidays," said Frank Lesh, ASHI president.

"You can't take them for granted or take unnecessary risks - even if you want your house to be the brightest, most festive on the street. By following these simple tips you can help protect your home against the rigors of winter and the pitfalls of the season."

• Clean your gutters and downspouts. Gutters and downspouts play an important role in diverting water away from foundation walls. That means less water and moisture related damage. If you clean before winter weather moves in you can keep your basement and crawl spaces dry and leak free.

• Drain exterior water lines. Frozen pipes that can crack the lines are history if you remove, drain and store outdoor hoses now.

• Give your garbage disposal a hot water bath. Cooking for crowds puts additional stress on garbage disposals. Flushing the garbage disposal with one pot of hot water and a half cup of baking soda now and after the holidays can help prevent plumbing problems and costly repairs. Grinding citrus fruits with a dish soap solution can remove the smell of decay.

• Inspect your home heating systems. Nearly half, 44 percent of all home heating fires happen in December. Schedule a professional inspection of your home's heating systems, including furnaces, boilers, fireplaces and water heaters every year before winter weather sets in. Stock up on furnace filters and change them regularly.

• Re-caulk and weather-strip all doors and windows. Save energy and energy costs by sealing air leaks around doors, windows, corner boards and joints. Make it a habit.

• Trim back tree limbs. Over hanging tree limbs are both a falling hazard and a chimney or flue blockage hazard. Also consider installing a battery-operated carbon monoxide detector. Replace batteries when Daylight Saving Time begins and when it ends.

• Keep a fire extinguisher handy. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of home fires in the nation. Buy and place a fire extinguishers away from potential fire sources so that you can reach the extinguisher in an emergency. Make sure it's charged and ready to go.

• Test your electrical circuit shut-off switch. Plug outdoor decorations only into circuits protected by ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs). Ensure that the circuit shuts-off properly by using a nightlight or radio. Click the circuit button. If it clicks and the nightlight or radio stays on, the circuit has not shut off. Consider contacting an electrician to check for problems.

• Be steady on the ladder. Falls account for an average of 5.1 million injuries and nearly 6,000 deaths a year. Before hanging Christmas lights, wrap pipe insulation around your ladder beams (vertical members that the rungs are attached to). The insulation helps prevent the ladder from slipping and provides insulation against electrical shock.

• Use extension cords sparingly. Avoid using extension cords except when absolutely necessary. If you do be sure they are the proper gauge and don't run them across hallways or doorways, under carpeting or furniture or through walls. Never, ever staple them in place.

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© 2007 DeadlineNews.Com

Broderick Perkins, an award-winning consumer journalist of 30 years, is publisher and executive editor of San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews.Com, a real estate news and consulting service, and the new Deadline Newsroom, DeadlineNews.Com's new backshop. In both cases, it's where all the news really hits home.

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Goodbye Daylight Saving Time, For Now

by Broderick Perkins
© 2007 DeadlineNews.Com

Deadline Newsroom – This year's change from Standard Time (ST) to Daylight Saving Time (DST) started three weeks earlier than it has since 1987 -- on the second Sunday in March -- March 11, 2007 at 2 a.m. and DST will end a week later than it has since 1987 -- on the first Sunday in November, that's November 4, 2007 2 a.m.

If you correctly set your clock one hour ahead in the spring, it's now time to roll back your clocks by one hour. "Spring forward. Fall back."

In case you'd forgotten, the longer DST period was decreed by the "Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT)" which established the nation's current energy policy for the foreseeable future.

The longer DST is designed as an energy-saving measure to lop an estimated 1 percent off household energy bills, and not a moment too soon. Climate change isn't on a schedule.

When you reset old timekeepers and clocks back to ST, use the effort to also reset programmable thermostats, security systems, guest room and vacation home clocks and all those other out of the way time keepers.

Safety experts say because you will likely go from room to room to change clocks, the onset of DST and ST are also good times to pull a safety check on your home.

That includes changing batteries in smoke alarms, CO2 detectors and flash lights, taking stock of or restocking your emergency/survival kit and recharging your fire extinguisher, among other tasks that can make your home a safer place to live.

© 2007 DeadlineNews.Com

Broderick Perkins, an award-winning consumer journalist of 30 years, is publisher and executive editor of San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews.Com, a real estate news and consulting service, and the new Deadline Newsroom, DeadlineNews.Com's new backshop. In both cases, it's where all the news really hits home.

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