May 6, 2009

Toxic drywall problem affects homeowners across the United States

Richard Gilbert

staff writer

Toxic drywall was initially thought to be contained to a few houses in Miami, but an investigation by a U.S. advocacy group has revealed the problem is affecting homeowners across the country.

Americas Watchdog is an advocacy group that is operating a Chinese Drywall Complaint Center.

The main aim of the complaint center is to investigate the use of imported Chinese drywall.

The toxic product has a constant rotten egg, or sulphur smell. It has been used to build or remodel homes between 2004 and 2008.

It was produced with materials that emit hydrogen sulphide gas and other sulphide gases, which may cause serious health problems, such as shortness of breath, dizziness, headaches, fatigue, insomnia, eye irritations and respiratory difficulties.

Initially, it was thought the toxic product was strictly limited to a small section of Miami, or Dade County, in Florida.

The investigation has determined the toxic drywall has been installed in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and all over the United States.

Since 2006, more than249 million kilograms of drywall has been imported to the U.S. from China, including 27.2 million kgs in Louisiana and 12.2 million kgs in Mississippi.

Much of the drywall in those states was used to rebuild homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

America’s Watchdog is already investigating thousands of complaints in the U.S and an estimated 100,000 homes may contain Chinese-made drywall.

The sulphur gas has caused the affected homes to have blackened, scorched wiring behind switch plates, wall plugs, air conditioners and on copper piping.

Chinese drywall in the U.S. can be tracked where it was used by licensed builders and insurance may pay for the damages.

Anyone using small firms or paying for renovations under the table will be hard to find and help.

Some builders are replacing air conditioning components and rebuilding the house. In this case the exterior structure and framing are not replaced.

The process of gutting and rebuilding these homes takes four to six weeks and can cost as much as a third of the total value of the home.

In other cases, the homes have been demolished for a variety of reasons, including the belief that the toxic gas has permeated the whole structure of the home.

New legislation offered in the U.S. senate urges the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to recall and place an immediate import ban on the drywall. The bill asks CPSC to work with federal labs and the Environmental Protection Agency to determine the danger from exposure to the chemicals and compounds in the drywall.

Under the legislation, Chinese manufacturers would be responsible for the cost of repairs or replacement of defective drywall.

Several lawsuits, have been filed against German drywall maker Knauf Gips KG, its Chinese plasterboard units and several U.S. home builders.

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