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Defective Chinese Drywall

Nelson urges Obama to take action on drywall
By RICHARD DYMOND - rdymond@bradenton.com


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tool goes here LAKEWOOD RANCH — With 60,000 American homes suspected of containing tainted Chinese drywall including 30,000 in Florida, President Barack Obama must broach the subject of culpability with the Chinese president later this year, said U.S. Senator Bill Nelson today during a visit to a tainted home in Lakewood Ranch.

“That issue will be an agenda item when the president goes to China at the end of the year and visits with Chinese president Hu Jintao,” Nelson said, adding he will personally address the president about the drywall problem.

Nelson spent Tuesday morning visiting several homes containing drywall in Greenbrook Village.


U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson talks with Kristin Culliton and her mother, Kay, about the tainted drywall problem on Tuesday at Lakewood Ranch. Photo RICHARD DYMOND/rdymond@bradenton.com

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The senator, who has recently written legislation to remedy the drywall problem, believes the manufacturers of the material should be held responsible to correct the problem and not necessarily the builders.

His bill, if made law, would initiate a drywall recall and would impose an immediate ban imported Chinese drywall.

The bill would also ask the Consumer Products Safety Commission to join with federal testing labs and the Environmental Protection Agency to determine the danger level of chemicals and compounds in the drywall.

Nelson, who is allergic to mold and mildew and who gets congested and experiences hoarseness when he tours homes with the tainted drywall, said he was experiencing symptoms within moments of entering a home Tuesday on Skip Jack Loop purchased for $331,000 several years ago by Kristin Culliton.

Culliton, a single mother who used to sell houses for builder Taylor-Morrison, bought her house from her former employer.

She moved out of the home in December, 2007 when she was two months pregnant with her son, Cayden. Now she wants Taylor-Morrison to buy her home back from her.

“This is not how my life was supposed to be,” said Culliton, who is living with her son in a nearby two-bedroom condo owned by her mother, Kay.

“I bought this house, my dream house, with the plan for my son to go to schools around here,” Culliton said. “But I haven’t been able to live in my home.”

Nelson and Culliton went to the second floor of Culliton’s home and pointed out how the coils on her air conditioning system had turned black. Nelson said the corrosion is from some compound in the drywall. Nelson took a screwdriver and scraped the black debris from the coils and uncovered gleaming copper underneath.

“Imagine what it does to lungs if it does this to copper,” Culliton said.

Culliton, who believes her home is now worthless and should be torn down, also showed Nelson an electrical outlet near her front door where the wires had turned black.

“That could cause an electrical fire,” Culliton said.

Nelson said he will give Obama a report about what he has found while visiting locations on the west and east coast of Florida recently, including the homes in Greenbrook.

Culliton invited Obama to visit her home.

A state toxicologist from the Florida Department of Health also visited Culliton’s home Tuesday.

5 Easy Home Improvement Projects for Less Than $500

5 Easy Home Improvement Projects for Less Than 500
It is possible to update a room and even remodel it without taking out a loan or raiding your savings. Here are five easy projects you can do yourself on the cheap for $500 or less.

1) Paint. A $35 can of paint (or two or three) can great a huge impact with minimal expense. In fact, if you've been ready My Home Redux at all, you've probably seen me write this, oh, say, at least a dozen times. Truth is, this is the easiest and best way to spruce up your house - inside or out - bar none.

2) New light fixtures. Whether it's a strip light across your bathroom mirror or an in descript ceiling fixture, changing light fixtures can make an immediate dramatic change. Check out online lighting fixture sites (my favorites are Lamp Depot http://lampdepot.com , Lamps Plus http://www.lampsplus.com, and Lighting Universe http://www.lightinguniverse.com/Default.aspx), but you can also get some nice fixtures at big box stores like Lowes and Home Depot.

3) Cabinet Facelift. I can't tell you how many kitchens could simply be made new with a good coat of paint on the cabinets. You'll need to prep them well and paint carefully, but you'll save THOUSANDS of dollars. (Read here for some good advice at: http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,783875,00.html .) Finish off the facelift with new hardware. (You'll notice in the article linked here showing the picture above that they also painted, added new hardware and changed the light fixtures.)

4) Closet Organizers. Unless you have a really large closet, you can still do this for less than $500. Simply go to a home improvement store. They carry similar systems as Elfa but much cheaper. Add shelves, sliding drawers, and two-tiered hanging racks. You'll be more organized and your closet will also be sporting the latest style.

5) Shutters. Adding painted shutters - or changing the color of your existing shutters - is a great way to improve the curb appeal of your house. I'm surprised how many houses don't have shutters, and how many would look so much better if they did. Most traditional styles work wonderfully with these classic window accents. You can paint vinyl ones, but I prefer wood for this very reason. Ok, wood shutters could cost more than $500, but the key is the front of the house - save your money and skip the sides and back.

So before you look at getting a home equity loan or liquidating your savings, take a second look and see if some simple ideas and a little imagination couldn't go far in enhancing and updating your home.

Copyright: Copyright © 2008 Julie Lohmeier

About the Author:
Julie Lohmeier is the veteran of numerous home remodeling and building projects. From working hands on and doing much of the work herself to hiring contractors and construction managers, she has seen the entire spectrum of home improvement. She shares her remodeling tips, home decorating ideas, and other various rants at http://www.myhomeredux.com. Subscribe to her free newsletter at: http://myhomeredux.typepad.com/blog/2005/09/get_my_home_red_2.html