Chinese-Made Drywall Destroying Homes, Causing Health Concerns

Whether you've heard the rumor or are looking for more details, this is what you need to know about the recent discovery of allegedly toxic drywall that has been manufactured, imported, and used for residential construction in the United States. The dryway in question was imported from 2004-2007 during the height of the housing boom and post-Katrina construction from China. The drywall in question has allegedly been found to emit sulfur-based gases that are eating away at homes and spiking health concerns among affected residents. The focus has been on Florida, where the issue first came up, but homes in at least 40 other states may have sulfur-contaminated drywall, as enough China-made drywall was imported to build 50,000 homes, according to recently filed lawsuits and reports on ABC News.

Is Your Home Affected?
Along with Florida, residents in Louisiana and Alabama have been the first to report problems. Rather than a link between construction or proximity to places hit by Katrina, the high humidity levels of these areas is said to have helped push the sulfur gas out of the drywall. Inversely, places with lower humidity levels and homes with better ventilation may go many years before homeowners might notice anything is wrong. If you're not sure if your home may be at risk, ask yourself the following questions:

• Was your home built between 2004-07, especially 2005 or 2006?


• Is there black soot on your wiring, fixtures, or other metal items in your home?


• Is there a smell of rotten eggs?


• Has your A/C broken down repeatedly or before its time?

One of the easiest ways to detect contaminated drywall is to remove a switch plate and look for black soot on the wiring just inside your wall, but if you've answered yes to any of these questions or feel uncomfortable conducting your own inspection, you shouldn't hesitate to hire a professional contractor. One piece of good news is that the problem seems to be isolated to new construction and major renovations completed by residential builders: The major home improvement chains have gone on record as saying none of their drywall has come from China, so if you bought and installed the drywall yourself, you should be safe.

Immediate Health Concerns
In one of the first stories covering the Chinese drywall, The Wall Street Journal reported that "the Florida Department of Health says tests show that the levels of emissions from the drywall pose no 'immediate health threat.'" Yet, some Florida residents, who have discovered there drywall comes from China, have also complained of coughs, nosebleeds, and headaches, according to the WSJ. Conclusive testing, according the Florida Health Department, will take several months. "It's very hard to predict when we'll have the answers," says state toxicologist Dr. David Krause, "We're moving as quickly as possible."

Until then, a wise course of action probably depends on the situation of your home and household. Poorly ventilated homes and households with small children, elderly household members, and people with pre-existing health conditions might experience problems at a faster pace. Thus, if the weather is still moderate enough to allow for open windows and nobody in the home is particularly young, old, or sick, you probably don't need to immediately vacate your home, but it's always best to contact a physician if you are at all suspicious about being exposed. Nevertheless, you should contact a health inspector or qualified home improvement contractor as soon as possible; even if no immediate health risks are present, corroded electrical wiring isn't something to mess around with. Like toxic mold, this problem should only been handled by a qualified and licensed professional in coordination with your homeowners' insurance company.

Knauf Brand Drywall and Legal Action
So far the complaints and legal action has centered on Knauf Plasterboard, Tianjin Co., a subsidiary of the German construction-material company Knauf International GmbH, although other brands of drywall have not been conclusively exonerated. Already three class-action lawsuits have been filed. Jeremy Alters, one of the plaintiffs' attorneys, sums up the scope of the problem, "This is massive. This will probably be the largest home defect case in American history." Although any potential for health concerns shouldn't be prematurely dismissed, the massive loss of property and property value is more likely to determine any punitive damages, should the lawsuits prove liability. "I think ultimately you will be talking about tens of thousands of homes that will have to be completely redone or demolished," Alters said.

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