The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is investigating potential fire hazards that may be related to problem drywall. They need your help!
While CPSC is not aware of any corroborated fire incidents to date, they are asking fire safety professionals to be on the lookout for and to report to CPSC any fires that appear to be connected to problem drywall to aid in their investigation.
Corrosion (typically blackening) of air conditioning evaporator coils, electrical wiring, and other metal components
is a common symptom of residences finished with problem drywall. Consumers raising concerns about drywall have
typically identified a “rotten egg” smell within their house, several health symptoms while in the home, corrosion or
blackening of metal items, and failures of electronic devices and appliances. Consumers have also reported frequent
failures of the evaporator coils in central air conditioning units.
For more information about CPSC’s drywall investigation, visit the Drywall Information Center at
www.cpsc.gov/info/drywall/index.html
Report problem drywall-related fires to CPSC’s Rik Khanna at
rkhanna@cpsc.gov or 301-504-7546 or Andrew
Trotta at
atrotta@cpsc.gov or 301-504-7578.