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Chinese drywall controversy is a health and safety issue involving defective drywall manufactured in China and imported by the United States starting in 2001.Drywall is a common building material typically made of a layer of gypsum-based plaster pressed between two thick sheets of paper, then dried in a kiln. Foreign drywall was imported by the United States during the construction boom between 2004 and 2007. Importation was further spurred by a shortage of American-made drywall due to the rebuilding demand of nine hurricanes that hit Florida from 2004 to 2005, and widespread damage caused along the Gulf Coast by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. An analysis covering drywall imports since January 2006 showed that more than 550 million pounds of Chinese drywall was brought into the United States since then, enough to build 60,000 average-sized homes.
Due to this problem's recent nature, there are currently no government or industry standards for inspecting contaminated drywall in homes. Professionals who have handled contaminated drywall in the past may know how to inspect for sulfur compounds but there are no agencies that offer certification in this form of inspection. Some of the quick items to look for area: Was your home built or did you have new drywall installed between 2001-2008? Do you notice a certain smell or odor when first entering your home, especially when not running the A/C? Does this smell dissipate soon after you've been in the home? (It doesn't always have a smell, especially in partially tainted homes). Have you had A/C problems? Have you replaced your evaporator coils? Have you noticed your faucets corroding or do they have black spots that are hard to remove? Have you noticed blackened copper on refrigeration lines, wiring, plumbing or gas lines?
Homeowners' lawsuits contend the drywall has caused them to suffer health problems such as headaches and sore throats and face huge repair expenses. The drywall is alleged to have high levels of sulfur and, according to homeowners' complaints, the sulfur-based gases smell of rotten eggs and corrode piping and wiring, causing electronics and appliances to fail. "It's economically devastating, and it's emotionally devastating," said Florida attorney Ervin A. Gonzalez, who filed one of the lawsuits. It would cost a third of an affected home's value to fix the dwelling, Gonzalez said. "The interior has to be gutted, the homeowners have to continue paying mortgages, and they have to pay for a [temporary] place to live," Gonzalez said.
Officials are looking into claims that Chinese-made drywall installed in some Florida homes is emitting smelly, corrosive gases and ruining household systems such as air conditioners, the Consumer Product Safety Commission says. The Florida Health Department, which is investigating whether the drywall poses any health risks, said it has received more than 140 homeowner complaints. And class-action lawsuits allege defective drywall has caused problems in at least three states -- Florida, Louisiana and Alabama -- while some attorneys involved claim such drywall may have been used in tens of thousands of U.S. homes.
The exemptions reveal that Chinese drywall was only used in Southwest Florida between 2004 and 2007; the four year span of recovery from Hurricane Charley and Wilma and the building boom. If you break it down by percentage, in Lee County only .44% of the single family homes and condos are infected and only 2.5% from the boom building years. In Charlotte County the percentage of homes infected is .27% and in Collier County it is .06%. The toxic material causing all the problems is only found in the 1/4 inch drywall used in residential construction. The 1/2 inch drywall used in commercial buildings is safe.
Besides the horrible odor, Sulfur corrodes copper and is often evident by the copper blackening and flaking off. This drastically reduces the functional life expectancy of any copper building material, such as evaporator coils and tubing, which can ultimately cause an air conditioner to fail. Chinese drywall may also corrode copper plumbing, copper electrical wiring, and copper water lines. Metals such as chrome, brass and silver may also be affected. In homes with Chinese drywall, bathroom and kitchen faucets and drains are typically tarnished.
Due to this problem's recent nature, there are currently no government or industry standards for inspecting contaminated drywall in homes. Professionals who have handled contaminated drywall in the past may know how to inspect for sulfur compounds but there are no agencies that offer certification in this form of inspection. Some of the quick items to look for area: Was your home built or did you have new drywall installed between 2001-2008? Do you notice a certain smell or odor when first entering your home, especially when not running the A/C? Does this smell dissipate soon after you've been in the home? (It doesn't always have a smell, especially in partially tainted homes). Have you had A/C problems? Have you replaced your evaporator coils? Have you noticed your faucets corroding or do they have black spots that are hard to remove? Have you noticed blackened copper on refrigeration lines, wiring, plumbing or gas lines?
Homeowners' lawsuits contend the drywall has caused them to suffer health problems such as headaches and sore throats and face huge repair expenses. The drywall is alleged to have high levels of sulfur and, according to homeowners' complaints, the sulfur-based gases smell of rotten eggs and corrode piping and wiring, causing electronics and appliances to fail. "It's economically devastating, and it's emotionally devastating," said Florida attorney Ervin A. Gonzalez, who filed one of the lawsuits. It would cost a third of an affected home's value to fix the dwelling, Gonzalez said. "The interior has to be gutted, the homeowners have to continue paying mortgages, and they have to pay for a [temporary] place to live," Gonzalez said.
Officials are looking into claims that Chinese-made drywall installed in some Florida homes is emitting smelly, corrosive gases and ruining household systems such as air conditioners, the Consumer Product Safety Commission says. The Florida Health Department, which is investigating whether the drywall poses any health risks, said it has received more than 140 homeowner complaints. And class-action lawsuits allege defective drywall has caused problems in at least three states -- Florida, Louisiana and Alabama -- while some attorneys involved claim such drywall may have been used in tens of thousands of U.S. homes.
The exemptions reveal that Chinese drywall was only used in Southwest Florida between 2004 and 2007; the four year span of recovery from Hurricane Charley and Wilma and the building boom. If you break it down by percentage, in Lee County only .44% of the single family homes and condos are infected and only 2.5% from the boom building years. In Charlotte County the percentage of homes infected is .27% and in Collier County it is .06%. The toxic material causing all the problems is only found in the 1/4 inch drywall used in residential construction. The 1/2 inch drywall used in commercial buildings is safe.
Besides the horrible odor, Sulfur corrodes copper and is often evident by the copper blackening and flaking off. This drastically reduces the functional life expectancy of any copper building material, such as evaporator coils and tubing, which can ultimately cause an air conditioner to fail. Chinese drywall may also corrode copper plumbing, copper electrical wiring, and copper water lines. Metals such as chrome, brass and silver may also be affected. In homes with Chinese drywall, bathroom and kitchen faucets and drains are typically tarnished.
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