Since December 2008, the home building industry in Florida and other Gulf Coast states has been receiving some very negative attention over the use of drywall imported from China that homeowners say emits several sulfides, causing a telltale “rotten-egg” smell and respiratory problems, corroding various metals in home structures, and disrupting the operation of electronic equipment.
At least four lawsuits alleging toxic drywall in homes have been filed in Florida, and a similar suit was filed in Alabama. A class action has recently been filed in New Orleans as well, sparking concerns that the material may have been used extensively in post-Katrina construction when demand for building materials resulted in a shortage of U.S.-manufactured drywall. Companies who built the affected homes in these states are taking steps to remediate the problems. So far, the questionable drywall has cropped up as far north as Virginia, where a Chesapeake Bay-area builder is inspecting nearly all the new homes it built in two communities since 2006 to identify and correct potentially toxic installations. At the center of many of the defective drywall suits are China-based Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin Co. and Taishan Gypsum Co. It is still unclear how many houses may be affected and how widespread the problem may become.
Although this issue has so far resided with large home building companies, it could potentially impact any builder operating in any U.S. market who may have purchased imported drywall. We’ve assembled a selection of informative articles on the growing problem.
Coastal Contractor—“Chinese Drywall Update”
March 24: ABC’s “Good Morning America”—“Some China-Made Drywall Causing a Stink”
March 24: CNN.com—“Florida: Drywall Has Material That Can Emit Corrosive Gas”
March 18: CNN.com—“Chinese-Made Drywall Ruining Homes, Owners Say”
March 17: The Wall Street Journal Blog—“Chinese Drywall Controversy Arrives in Louisiana”
March 16: USA Today—“Drywall From China Blamed for Problems in Homes”
Feb. 23: ConsumerAffairs.com—“Chinese Drywall A Threat to Homeowners?”
Feb. 17: BuilderOnline.com—“Tainted Drywall Affects Real Estate”
Feb. 4: BuilderOnline.com—“Lennar Files Suit Over Chinese Drywall”
Jan. 15: HeraldTribune.com—“Ground Zero in Drywall Dispute”
Jan. 12: The Wall Street Journal—“Chinese Drywall Cited in Building Woes”
