A colleague of mine currently in Haiti is trying to figure out why a project with MGO board installed last year, is currently rusting the screws and leaching a colorless and odorless oil from the board. Has anyone else had this experience?

From the sounds of it, that doesn't sound good. My guess it's some type of reaction to whatever the core is made-up of. If it's the MgO or who knows what they did. It's like the Chinese drywall that Lowe's sold and it turned out that it was made-up of all types of waste and hazardous materials. Who knows what's in those SIPs? Quality control is next to non-existent on those MgO SIPs, especially since it was used in Haiti. The building codes out there are pretty bad.

If the MgO SIP begins to ooze a red substance. It's time to call the Ghost Adventures crew

I'll guess glycerin and other contaminants because the MgO was left over from some other process.

Without good standards and quality control on MgO, what is the best option for interior walls in very moist/humid/termite prone areas? Perhaps fiber cement based boards over steel studs. Do those even hold up under years of sustained 80+% humidity?

My friend has returned with samples and took to University of Central Florida "Building Sciences Department" for analysis. ..... according to the experts, the MGO will absorb moisture from the humid air and later leach out liquid magnesium hydroxide , they said that MGO shoud never be used in residential interior space. Oddly enough this is the same component as in milk of magnesia, For individuals with impaired kidney function, magnesium toxicity is a very real possibility. Reduced kidney function can result in the loss of the kidney's ability to remove excess magnesium. This can lead to toxic levels of magnesium or severe hypermagnesmia. Hypermagnesmia can be a problem in individuals who have chronic kidney disease.

So don't drink anything oozing out of your walls....

Chris,

Any word from the labs about what that substance was coming from the wall?

Posted By jonr on 14 Nov 2014 05:51 PM
So don't drink anything oozing out of your walls....

A legend of home living advice.

I spit coffee at my screen.