Chinese Drywall Makes it to Charleston, South Carolina
Posted by
Amanda WickMarch 04, 2009 3:21 PMWhile it no longer seems like "news" to report something defective being manufactured and imported from China, the most recent problematic product being imported into the U.S. is Chinese drywall.
You may have heard on the news the problems found, and investigations being conducted in South Florida that are tied to problems with “Chinese drywall,” drywall that was manufactured and imported from China. Homeowners who have Chinese drywall in their homes have reported a putrid, “rotten egg” smell, which may cause health problems. In addition, it appears that gas released from the drywall causes corrosion of metals in household appliances. Unfortunately, the humidity and warm climates of areas such as Charleston, South Carolina and Florida, where much of the Chinese drywall was imported, make the odor and potential problems associated with Chinese-made drywall more prevalent.
Last week, Federal investigators with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) began investigating in Florida, the first step in a more intense probe into contaminated Chinese drywall. The CPSC and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had been in discussions since January with officials in Florida. But the launch of a formal compliance investigation now brings the full power of the federal government to bear on the problem for the first time.
On Monday, a new class action lawsuit was filed in Florida against Knauf, a German drywall maker, its Chinese units and several U.S. home builders, claiming that the defective product has corroded metal and sickened some homeowners. Knauf is a German company that has two plants in China. The company has acknowledged complaints about odors from some of the drywall from its Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin Co. Ltd. plant. Knauf is conducting its own investigation and believes the problem drywall came from a specific gypsum mine. (Drywall is typically made of a layer of gypsum plaster pressed between two thick sheets of paper, then kiln dried.) Knauf also reports it stopped using the questionable mine in 2006.
Nearly 68 million pounds of drywall manufactured in China were shipped to the United States in 2006, enough to build between 3,000 and 7,500 average-size single-family homes. While a majority of the material entered New Orleans in 2006 after hurricanes Katrina and Wilma in 2005, 18.8 million pounds of Knauf drywall was shipped to Charleston, South Carolina in 2006. The mass importation of Chinese drywall became prevalent when construction materials became low, causing a spike in drywall imports. The increasing demand for building materials coincided with the rise in drywall from China in the marketplace.
Builders who used Chinese drywall, according to the builders themselves, customers and attorneys, include Lennar Corp., Taylor Morrison, WCI Communities, Meritage Homes, Ryland Homes, Standard Pacific Homes and Aubuchon Homes. Homes in South Carolina, especially around the Charleston area, built between November 2005 and November 2006 may contain the drywall. Lennar Corp. alone has several housing projects in South and North Carolina, near Charleston, Charlotte, Greenville and Myrtle Beach.
The Chinese drywall is especially problematic because the smell can permeate into the wood studs and continue to cause problems after it is removed. While some homebuilders are voluntarily assisting homeowners whose homes were constructed with the drywall, others are not. If you or a loved one has suffered from health problems, or has suffered property damage that you believe is a result of Chinese drywall, please contact a health provider for medical attention and an attorney to preserve your rights.