Hazardous drywall remediation method and system

Abstract

The present invention fulfills the above and other objects by providing a method and system for hazardous drywall remediation (1). The main stages of the hazardous drywall remediation method and system include conducting pre-remediation (2) of a structure, conducting remediation (3) of the structure and conducting post-mediation (4) of the structure. During pre-remediation of a structure the existence or non-existence of hazardous drywall in a structure is confirmed and documented in a written pre-remediation report (8). Next, during remediation of the structure all hazardous drywall, contaminated building materials, hazardous gasses and hazardous residues are removed from the structure. Finally, during post-mediation of the structure the non-existence of hazardous drywall in the structure is confirmed and documented in a written post-remediation report (29), which is then may be recorded in the public records (30).

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]This invention relates to remediation methods and systems for structures contaminated with hazardous material, more particularly, a remediation method for identifying hazardous drywall within a structure, removing the hazardous drywall and any contaminated building materials from the interior of the structure, cleaning and removing hazardous gasses and residues from the structure and documenting, the remediation of the structure so that current occupants and future occupants will be assured that the structure has been completely remediated and is safe.[0002]Drywall is a common building material used in residential and commercial structures for constructing interior walls. Drywall is typically made of a layer of gypsum-based plaster pressed between two thick sheets of paper, then dried in a kiln. Foreign drywall, specifically drywall originating from China, was imported by the United States during the construction boom between 2000 and 2007 because Un...

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Benefits of technology

[0006]Another object of the present invention is to provide a hazardous drywall remediation method and system in which the presence of hazardous drywall in a structure is determined and documented.

Problems solved by technology

Foreign drywall, specifically drywall originating from China, was imported by the United States during the construction boom between 2000 and 2007 because United States manufacturers were not able to keep up with the increased demand.

The problems with imported drywall have been attributed to the use of fly ash in the drywall, which degrades in the presence of heat and moisture and emits hazardous gasses.

Defective drywall exhibits several symptoms, including giving off a hydrogen sulfide gas that smells like rotten eggs and grows worse with heat and humidity.

The hydrogen sulfide gas poses health risks to occupants of the structure and causes corrosion of anything metal, such as pipes, electrical wires, fixtures, appliances and even furniture, thereby creating safety hazards, such as electrical fires.

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