By now, we have all heard about the problems with Chinese drywall. It begins with an acrid odor. Next, the physical damage is discovered, from blackened electrical and plumbing components to broken air-conditioning units. Then, alarm sets in as the homeowner wonders how the problem can be fixed, who will pay for it, whether the home’s value will be affected and even if it is safe to live in the home.

But despite the familiarity of the story, this problem is still in its infancy. We don’t have answers to many of the critical questions about Chinese drywall and we should be skeptical of those who claim they do.

Consider this: If you Googled “Chinese drywall” six months ago, you received zero results. Today there are more than 1.3 million hits for this query. While a number of these results are reports from news media providing information on what is happening and why, many more are evidence of a growing rapidly cottage industry of fraudulent products and services that preys on homeowners’ fears.

What do you get when you spend $1,500 to have the air in your home tested for Chinese drywall? Is there a magic spray that can make all of the problems go away? Can the burgeoning number of Chinese drywall lawyers clamoring for clients to file suit make any of the affected homeowners whole again?

The fact is, there are no simple solutions, and it is deplorable that these scam artists and unscrupulous actors are taking advantage of anxious consumers in the information void.

Until we understand the cause and scope of this problem and devise effective solutions based on sound science, the financial, emotional and physical damage caused by Chinese drywall, it will only continue to grow.

Builders did not cause the Chinese drywall problem by employing shoddy construction practices, purchasing substandard materials to save money or ignoring a known problem. Yet we continue to try to be responsive to our clients with no road map.

Many builders cannot afford to conduct massively expensive, untested remediation experiments as we suffer through the worst downturn in generations. Many have had insurance claims denied. Many have been sued.

What is needed is research to answer the critical questions that builders and homeowners are confronting every day.

Fortunately, we are beginning to make progress. The U.S. Senate held hearings on the Chinese drywall problem in May, giving home builders a chance to testify on how seriously we take this problem and what action is needed to address it.

We told congressional leaders that we need a reliable and accurate testing protocol to determine whether a home has a problem and what level of problem is present. We told them we need an effective and efficient remediation strategy. And we told them we need to know if there are any potential health impacts from contact with the drywall.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Florida’s Attorney General and Department of Health are now working to provide those answers. As home builders, we are committed to working with government agencies to complete the required research as quickly as possible. The answers we seek can’t come soon enough.

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