According to the HeraldTribune.com, some 550 million pounds of defective drywall produced in China has reached U.S. ports since 2006. Corrosion of electrical equipment such as air conditioners, appliances and electronics has been linked to gases emitted by the Chinese drywall.
Additionally, claims of health problems from homeowners has led Florida Senator Bill Nelson to ask the EPA and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to investigate possible toxicity of the Chinese made drywall.
The problem developed during South Florida’s construction boom years when a shortage of U.S. manufactured drywall led many builders to purchase Chinese drywall. The company at the center of South Florida’s drywall problems is Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin Co. Ltd. of China, a subsidiary of German manufacturer Knauf Group. Also implicated is another Chinese manufacturer, Taishan Gypsum.
For several months, new homeowners in South Florida have been complaining of a rotten egg smell coming from their drywall. The smell is so overpowering that in many cases residents were forced to leave their homes. Health related symptoms include coughing and irritation of the eyes, throat and sinuses. The sulfur compounds in the drywall, when combined with moisture in the air, corrode air conditioners, pipes and wiring, often costing hundreds or ever thousands of dollars in repairs.
One of Florida’s largest home builders, Lennar Homes, has sued the Knauf Group and Taishan Gypsum over the defective drywall. Recently, a class action lawsuit was filed in Fort Myers against these manufacturers charging that they negligently produced and sold defective drywall that was “unreasonably dangerous” for normal use. Lennar reports that it has identified about 80 homes in southwest Florida that are believed to have been built with the defective Chinese drywall.
Lennar recently had Environ International conduct tests on the suspected drywall. The tests revealed the presence of three sulfide gases; carbon disulfide, carbonyl sulfide and dimethyl sulfide. Previous testing revealed an especially dangerous compound, hydrogen sulfide that is also associated with a rotten eggs smell. The Florida Health Department is conducting its own series of tests with results expected soon.
South Florida Business Times also reports that a number of other developers throughout South Florida have experienced problems with Chinese drywall over the past couple of years. Lennar says it discovered the drywall issue through routine monitoring of its home repair requests. Most of the affected homes were built during the real estate boom years of 2005 and 2006.
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