Articles Posted in Chinese Drywall

In an interesting little article that may have slipped through the cracks for many, the Wall Street Journal discusses claims by Chinese officials that the drywall issue is, potentially, an American myth of sorts. Xu Luoyi, head of the National Building Materials Industrial Technology Supervisory Research Center, notes that the Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin Company provided drywall for a variety of projects across the world and that the only complaints emerging are from the US:

“It’s worth considering why this problem has only emerged in the United States,” said Xu. “The U.S. credit crisis has caused the real estate market to collapse, and as a result domestic drywall manufacturers have seen their sales suffer and their product is relatively expensive compared to the Chinese-made drywall, so we should also consider these issues.”

Take it for what it’s worth but Xu does provide interesting claims, including that Knauf’s drywall was used for a wide assortment of projects. Knauf, per Xu,

As the Chinese Drywall saga continues, Florida has jumped all over the issue and is pushing for investigations while testing homes for dangerous sulfur levels. These actions come after a timeline of incidences, many of which may be read about on this blog’s section on the drywall, and demonstrate a level of seriousness taken by the government to protect citizens:

The Florida Health Department said last week it would start testing air quality in homes built with defective Chinese drywall to determine if sulfur fumes emitted by the material pose any health hazard. Meanwhile, a state senator has asked Florida’s governor to set up a task force to take up the Chinese drywall issue.

Fumes emitted from Chinese drywall produce a “rotten eggs” odor and cause metals, such as air conditioning coils, to corrode. The fumes have also been associated with respiratory and sinus problems in some residents. In some homes, the drywall problems have been so severe that families have had to move, and some builders have begun gutting and replacing drywall in the buildings.

The inevitable results of the importation of faulty Chinese drywall into a state that required heavy construction at the result of Hurricane Katrina has officially emerged. As reported widely by the Associate Press and other media outlets, Louisiana officials feared that Katrina’s devastation had severely raised the odds that Chinese drywall would be a painful reality for individuals who had rebuilt since 2005. Now personal accounts are emerging that show this drywall issue is not limited to Florida but, rather, is officially here:

Hurricane Katrina victims who used cheap Chinese-made dry wall to rebuild their homes may have to rebuild all over again to correct severe problems.

Wallboard from China that contains sulfur is wreaking havoc in homes, charring electrical wires, eating away at jewelry and possibly even sickening families.

Two of Florida’s elected representatives met with homeowners to discuss the federal government’s interest and action regarding Chinese drywall. The drywall, imported and said to cause corrosion and a myriad of health problems, has been discovered in homes all around the Gulf Coast region and appears to be a problem that is not going away:

Two Florida lawmakers met with homeowners yesterday in West Palm Beach to discuss the state’s Chinese drywall problems. Attendees told Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Boca Raton, and Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., that they were most concerned about health problems posed by the sulfur fumes the drywall is emitting.

The Florida Health Department has received over 150 complaints of Chinese drywall that emits a “rotten eggs” odor and causes metals, such as air conditioning coils, to corrode. In some homes, the drywall problems have been so severe that families have had to move, and some builders have begun gutting and replacing drywall in the buildings. It is estimated that the defective material could have been used in as many as 36,000 homes in the state.

Video published by the Associated Press on the Chinese Drywall issue facing much of the Gulf Coast area.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kHq_H3l7aE

The more and more information that comes out on this stuff the worse it looks. The health effects of Chinese Drywall and the damage it is causing new homes, including corroded fixtures and structural harm, is stunning really.

With the building number of reports involving health problems and building defects relating to Chinese Drywall, it is becoming more and more obvious that there is a serious problem with this imported wallboard and that it is most definitely in the homes of New Orleans and Louisiana residents. While many people are aware of this problem, few people believe it “can happen to them” or that it may, in fact, be in their homes.

Health symptoms of Chinese drywall include nose bleeds, headaches, coughs, upper respiratory or sinus issues, and rashes. Home detriments or telltale signs of chinese drywall include corroded copper installed in the walls, a persistent smell of “rotting eggs,” weakened or mildly buckling wall structures and gas buildup.

If you are experiencing any of these problems in your home, contact an attorney immediately. The Berniard Law Firm has been monitoring this situation since it first began to be reported and is prepared to help you receive the compensation necessary to compensate you for this homeowners nightmare. With the lack of knowledge about how serious the health problems may be or just how much damage, financially and structurally, the drywall can cause to your home, it is important to not wait and to immediately take action should you notice these issues in your house or property.

In breaking news, Democratic Senators Bill Nelson of Florida and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana have called for initiating recalls on drywall originating in China. The South Florida Business Journal reports

Two U.S. senators are calling for a recall of high-sulfur Chinese drywall that is believed to be causing metal corrosion and an odor of rotten eggs in thousands of homes in the Southeast.

Sens. Bill Nelson of Florida and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, both Democrats, said in a press release Monday that they filed new legislation aimed at initiating a recall and imposing an immediate ban on “tainted building products from China.”

WWL TV released a news bit last week that shows Louisiana is well aware of the Chinese drywall threat and are keeping track of complaints as they come in. Of note, the article quantifies just how much drywall may have come into the state for use in building homes to the tune of 60 million pounds:

NEW ORLEANS – Louisiana public health officials are tracking Chinese drywall that some say is ruining homes and making people sick.

Assistant State Health Secretary Dr. Rony Francois said according to some reports, as much as 60 million pounds of the product may have entered the state, enough for 7000 homes.

While it’s hard to tell what type of drywall was used in your home after everything is painted and the home is officially a “home,” there are various health problems and symptoms that homeowners with drywall from China are experiencing. These symptoms include: