Does your house smell like rotten eggs? Do your lights flicker for no reason? Are you suffering from dizzy spells, swollen joints, nose bleeds, rashes, or headaches? If you’re nodding your head yes you may be a victim of a Chinese drywall nightmare.

Other symptoms include corroded household wiring and air conditioning coils and discoloration in wood furniture. The alleged cause is high levels of hydrogen sulfide, a toxic gas that affects the nervous system, issuing from contaminated drywall made in some Chinese factories.

There have been at least four class action lawsuits filed in Florida and others have been filed in California, Louisiana, and Alabama against builders that used the toxic drywall in the construction of new homes.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is investigating the complaints and if the drywall proves positive, there will be tens of thousands of potentially affected homes involved. Recently a preliminary report was released by the Florida Department of Health that shows samples of sulfur gases were found in samples of Chinese drywall.

It’s feared the affected homes will add to the already huge numbers of foreclosures. Most of the homes built with Chinese drywall were built during the housing boom between 2005 and 2006, which were also the homes that lost the most in value. Add to that the health risks of living in such a home and it seems the easiest way out for many of these homeowners might be to just walk away.

During the housing boom drywall became a hot commodity; supply couldn’t keep up with the demand which prompted suppliers to look for other sources such as China. During the “boom” more than 550 million pounds of it was imported and shipped to the U.S. with the bulk landing in Florida. Chinese drywall was used to build over 60,000 homes in over a dozen states.

Who’s suing whom? The homeowners are suing the construction companies, the construction companies are suing the suppliers, the suppliers are suing the manufacturers in China, and China is denying any wrongdoing. (more…)

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Masking tape: that wonderful little roll of goodness that sits in the junk drawer just waiting for its time to shine. It turns out that masking tape has many more uses around the home than you may have realized. Originally designed for use on cars with two-tone paint jobs, masking tape’s great advantage is the ability to remove it without leaving a trace of adhesive residue and without damaging the existing surface. That important point being expounded, here are 10 ways masking tape can help you with your remodel:

1. Cutting corners. Let’s get the easy one out of the way first. Masking tape’s most common use (beside trash can basketball) is for “cutting” in paint. Simply apply it along corners, ceilings, and around windows to prevent those inevitable slips of the paint brush from marring areas you don’t want to paint.
2. Labeling. There are always reasons to label, not just things, but places. “New Outlet Here” or “Light Fixture There” are just a few. Masking tape, again, comes off easy and, should you change your mind, you haven’t written all over your walls.
3. Hold it down, hold it up. It is tape after all. So why not use it to hold up plastic sheeting across doorways to prevent the spread of dust or hold down the drop cloth while painting.
4. Creative painting. Maybe you want a checkerboard pattern in the kid’s room. Guess who’s there to help you section it off and make painting a breeze. That’s right…masking tape.
5. Cut once, cut straight. I’m borrowing this idea from art class, where tape is often used for cutting poster board and the like. Masking tape makes an easy, removable guide for the many cuts involved in remodeling, especially on the decorating end of the deal. (more…)

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Most every school-age child has heard of the three R’s: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Recycling is to take a product or material at the end of its usefulness and turning it into a usable raw material to make another product. That is exactly what GreenFiber of Charlotte, NC has successfully done.

In 2000, two rival companies in the wood products industry came together in an earth-friendly joint venture that has the capacity to turn what was once an environmentally friendly specialty product, cellulose-based recycled newsprint, into a major competitor in building products. Dennis Barineau, GreenFiber’s president, says, “As we go into the future, people are going to make choices about products that are sustainable. We think we’re well positioned compared with our competitors.” The product is called GreenFiber Cocoon Insulation.

What is GreenFiber Cocoon Insulation and why should you use it?
It is 85% recycled paper fiber, mostly recovered from consumer content; the other 15% are additives for fire resistance. This eco-friendly product is beneficial to you, the homeowner, by reducing drafts, suppressing noise, lowering energy consumption, providing fire resistance, and increasing resale value of your home. It uses natural, safe, recycled products and its performance is guaranteed. (more…)

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