First, China brought us contaminated heparin. Now, it’s brought us drywall that is endangering American homeowners.
The federal government on Friday warned families with the defective drywall to take it out of their homes, because its noxious emissions are being linked to health and safety problems. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304871704575159971085212294.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5
The drywall, also called gypsum or wallboard, has been connected to electrical problems and causing respiratory problems for residents of new homes, mainly in Louisiana and Florida. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/03/business/03drywall.html?ref=business
Some Chinese-made drywall is emitting hydrogen sulfide at rates 100 times greater than non-Chinese drywall, according to information The Journal cited from the Consumer Product Safety Commission and Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The drywall came under federal investigation after homeowners complained about smelling rotten-egg like sulfide odors. But that’s not all. Homeowners complained that they were suddenly getting bloody noses, headaches and respiratory problems – and that some of their appliances were corroding.
More than 3,000 complaints have been filed with the Consumer Product Safety Commission from people who claim fumes from the drywall have damaged their homes, according to The Journal.
One consulting firm pegged the damage from the faulty drywall at $15 billion to $25 billion. The question now is who will foot the bill.
Some home builders are already fixing homes they built with the defective Chinese drywall. One company, Lennar Group, has budgeted $81 million to fix 600 homes it built in Florida, The Journal reported. Lennar wants to get that money back from insurers and subcontractors.
