Found this on another forum, some more crap from China to add to our list:
Chinese sheetrock. This junk gives off a sulfur oder and is eating away the copper in the A/C systems, plumbing and electric wiring.
The problem has been found in SW Florida in homes and buildings built around 2006/2007. Familes are being moved out and the sheetrock is being replaced at the contractors expense. Whole subdivisions are being affected. This problem is begining to show up all over the country.
So if we find our jacks and equipment rotting away now we'll know why.
I used to wonder how they could farm raise shrimp in Thailand and Vietnam and sell it cheaper here in the US until I talked to a shrimper last year.
His boat held 500 gallons of diesel. Even without roaduse taxes it was almost $1500 to fill the boat. LIcences, permits, maintenance, dock fees, taxes, etc. in a crapshoot to drag a net around Corpus Christi Bay hoping to get enough shrimp @1.00 a pound wholesale to make a profit. Ugly picture for sure.
Across the pond..no minimum wage, OSHA, taxes, licenses, fuel costs as they raise them in patties. You could harvest, freeze and fly them first class in a 747 to the US cheaper than we can haul in from our own bays within eyesight of the US shoreline.
The best guess on wages in China are 200 dollars per month. Then you factor the economy of scale as in shipping super freighters full of the stuff into Mexican ports under the NAFTA program then shipped into the the US! Mexican ports will continue to see huge increases in tonnage while US ports see a decrease.
Chinese sheetock? I can understand how China can beat us in costs on other things, but sheetrock? It's a mostly automated process to make it, the materials are not very costly... but the shipping. A single 5/8" 12' board weighs nearly 150 lbs. Even if China could make it for free, I'd think shipping all that weight halfway across the world would be more costly than locally procured US made drywall.
I guess I'm going to have to pack my respirator on the truck in case I have to cut into any of this stuff - it probably has more nasties in it than just sulphur...
Hal, that's only for the middle and upper class. The poorer folks get the fishheads and guts and a lot of carbs from various veggies and grains. Actually a pretty healthy diet! I've said it before and I'll say it again, with a slight addition. 1. Get rid of the FREE government assistance (u & me, TAXES) to locate low operating cost countries to move production to. 2. Get rid of the FREE government financing (By u and me, TAXES) that is provided to move to said countries and finance the start-up costs. 3. Repeal the present income tax and switch to a fair tax system. And part of the legislation would prevent ANY other taxation method without a CITIZEN VOTE. 1 & 2 would discourage the export of any more production/jobs. 3 would encourage the importation of production/jobs. Why? Because there would be NO taxes for the producing companies except on stuff they buy for internal consumption. i.e., office supplies and equipment, production equipment, (NOT PRODUCTION MATERIALS). No payroll taxes, value added taxes, no taxes on material purchased for incorporating into the product. So what does the fair tax apply to? the FINAL consumer will pay an approximately 23% sales tax. High? YES! BUT, you know where it says "Gross Earnings' on your pay stub? THAT'S WHAT YOUR NET EARNINGS ARE! Unless you opt to save some $ in an employer savings plan, or participate in an employer health insurance plan. No witholding for the IRS or Social Security. And are you aware that your employer now pays money to employ you that you NEVER see? You're going to get that, too! Too good to be true. Remember, 23% sales tax to final user! It don't come for free! Oh, at the first of each month you will receive a rebate check for taxes spent on necessities of life. Food, meds, power, light, phone. Buy,beg, or borrow a book on it. Watch out for the naysayers, their negatives are based on modifying the system! Read the fine print. The only folks that get a short stick are those that presently have 'after-tax' savings. I'm one of those and I figure the positives far outweigh the negatives. Sorry about the rant and highjack. Moderators are welcome to move to ? John C.
I starting to belive the Chinese government is trying to poison our kids with their lead toys, and now this. Two wars trying to fight communism and people still buy their crap.
I bought 30 4X8 sheets of 1/2 inch sheetrock today for just under $4.50 a sheet. How in the Hell can they make them in China and ship them here then have someone transport to a distribution center then to a box store and still be sheaper than a US made product? My boards were American Gypsum out of Dallas TX.
I've been thinking the same thing Dave since this story broke several months ago. There must come a point where transportation costs exceed any potential manufacturing savings. Even offshore telephone cable has had me saying "huh?" since it costs me five bucks a box for shipping from across the river in Maryland.
What is next, Chinese bricks and cinder blocks?
I've been thinking the same thing about cars for years too. Since the final assembly is done in the US for most foreign brands, I guess they can benefit by efficient packing of the parts into cargo containers. I still don't get it.
I guess paying someone $40.00 a week vs: $40.00 an hour might have some bearing upon this dilemma.
I was reading a book called "The Box" by Marc Levinson which is about the history of the shipping container industry and he said the cost of container shipping by sea is by the mile and not weight.
A 40 ft container of cat 5 wire costs the same as a container of sheetrock to bring to a North American port from China.
I dont know if any of you know, I did security for some very high level RCMP agencies and commercial interest a number of years ago. NAV Canada, the premier agency that designed its own Air Traffic computer system for enroute navigation of aircraft was selling its systems on the open market. This system is state of the art that the FAA envies and thay send there controlers up here for training. What was shocking was a buss full of Chinese Communist Goverment aviation officials showed up to tour our facility. Thay were in the market for our Advanced Air Traffic control system. What could thay have done with it? Simple, use it for millitary purpouses. To say the least, I was nervous and couldnt believe that thay were invited here by the Canadian goverment.
BTW, you heard it here first. CNN nor do I think the US goverment knows about this.
Just curious: has anyone here who is in FL seen any wire corrosion on telephone, data, or coax due to this sheetrock? Is this problem widespread enough that putting "junk sheetrock voids our warranty" disclaimers in contracts necessary?
Outside of looking for pre-existing corrosion, I can't think of a good way to tell if a structure contains good or bad sheetrock unless the wiring is done during construction.
I bought a spec home in November 2008 from the same builder that I do wiring work for. They let me go in and wire the low voltage in the home I was buying. I am just getting around to pulling wires out of the walls and making cat5, voice, and coax fitting and putting plates on and noticed several wires with a significant amount of blue corrosion on the tips. A few of the wires that I cut holes and pulled out in January have much more corrosion than the rest, but all have a significant amount. I am concerned about the possibility of my sheet rock being Chinese and if in just a few months it emitted enough oder to corrode my wires that bad, what is it doing to our health. Does anyone have some information on more specific symptoms of the sulfer that I can used to compare, and also does anyone have any info on the effects of the problem.
I am concerned about the possibility of my sheet rock being Chinese and if in just a few months it emitted enough oder to corrode my wires that bad, what is it doing to our health. Does anyone have some information on more specific symptoms of the sulfer that I can used to compare, and also does anyone have any info on the effects of the problem.
If you Google "Chinese sheetrock" you will find a wealth of information like this.
am i ever glad the montreal area is home to 2 sheetrock plants. Westroc is right near here, its cheaper to buy local around here at least. i can get it for 6$ a sheet at the factory!
You guys need to read this. Chinese companies are now winning domestic, usually government, contracts. And they do not pay local wages and they do not hire locals but they do get paid with American worker's tax money.
![[Linked Image from i7.photobucket.com]](https://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y261/GawkyEndymion000/arracher-cheveux.gif)