Federal law requires that drywall manufactured or imported for use in the United States on or after July 22, 2015 must comply with the limitations on sulfur content in ASTM C1396-14a, “Standard Specification for Gypsum Board.”
Manufacturers and importers of drywall must certify in a General Certificate of Conformity (GCC) that the drywall complies with the limits on sulfur content in the standard.
Federal law also requires that drywall manufactured or imported for use in the United States meet the labeling provisions in ASTM C1264-11, “Standard Specification for Sampling, Inspection, Rejection, Certification, Packaging, Marking, Shipping, Handling, and Storage of Gypsum Panel Products.” Certification is not required for the labeling requirement.
ASTM uses the more technical term “gypsum board” to refer to the class of products that CPSC refers to as “drywall.” ASTM C1396-14a “Standard Specification for Gypsum Board” defines “gypsum wallboard” as a product, “designed for use on walls, ceilings, or partitions and that affords a surface suitable to receive decoration.” There are additional related definitions in the standard, which is available for purchase from ASTM International.
All drywall currently offered for sale must meet the labeling provisions in ASTM C1264-11. The labeling requirements were effective in November 2011.
In addition, drywall manufactured or imported on or after July 22, 2015 must comply with the sulfur content limits of ASTM C1396-14a.
ASTM C1396-14a Section 4.7 states that gypsum board must contain no greater than 10 parts per million (ppm) of orthorhombic cylooctasulfur (i.e., elemental sulfur or “S8”) when tested in accordance with the test methods for Determination of S8 in Gypsum Panel Products by Liquid Extraction for Analysis by Liquid or Gas Chromatography in sections 55-65 of ASTM C471M.
Yes. Drywall manufactured or imported on or after July 22, 2015 must be accompanied by a General Certificate of Conformity (GCC) certifying compliance with the sulfur content limits of ASTM C1396-14a.
On January 14, 2013, the President signed into law the Drywall Safety Act of 2012 (DSA). Pub. L. No. 112-266, 126 Stat. 2437 (2013). The sulfur content limit requirement can be found in the “Notice of Determination Under the Drywall Safety Act of 2012,” 80 Fed. Reg. 3466 (Jan. 23, 2015).
CPSC began investigating drywall in 2009 after reports from homeowners who saw corrosion of metal items inside their homes. According to homeowners' reports, the items primarily involved were electrical fixtures, appliances, plumbing, and air conditioner coils. CPSC used the term “problem drywall” to refer to drywall associated with elevated rates of metal corrosion.
This requirement seeks to limit elemental sulfur content to a level not associated with elevated rates of corrosion in the home.
View the Federal Interagency Drywall Information Center for more information and background.