Ed the Roofer

I just read this on a restoration forum and thought you guys might be interested.

Ed



The Wall Street Journal
Chinese Drywall Cited in Building Woes
By MICHAEL CORKERY
JANUARY 12, 2009

Some home builders already struggling in Florida's dismal housing market are facing another headache: The Chinese-made drywall they used is causing unpleasant odors and possibly leading to electric problems in dozens of homes constructed during the housing boom.

A handful of builders and environmental consultants are investigating whether the drywall, a wide flat board used to create interior walls, is emitting sulfur-based gases that may be corroding air-conditioner coils, computer wiring and metal picture frames.

Some homeowners are concerned about possible respiratory problems, but the Florida Department of Health says tests show that the levels of emissions from the drywall pose no "immediate health threat." The affected homeowners also worry that the drywall problems will reduce their already decimated property values and hamper their ability to resell, even when the market recovers.

"My biggest fear is we'll be stuck with a house we can't sell," said Marty Smith, whose air conditioner in his home near Tampa has had repeated problems. His builder, Lennar Corp., recently tested the air and drywall in his house and expects the results in a few weeks. Lennar's previous tests in other developments have found no health threats.

Although officials are still investigating the drywall from China, the complaints about drywall follow a rash of safety problems with other Chinese exports, ranging from toys to pet food.

Lennar, the nation's second-largest builder by volume, has tested air quality in at least 50 houses and has relocated several homeowners in order to rip out and replace the drywall, a costly process. It is trying to find less-intrusive ways to fix the problem. Lennar is continuing tests in a dozen of its Florida developments and has shared results with the state health department.

"Our first concern is our homeowners," said Darin McMurray, the builder's southwest Florida division president. "Lennar will continue to stand by our homes and work closely with homeowners to resolve their concerns."

Typically, builders use domestically produced drywall, which is made mainly from the mineral gypsum. But in 2006 -- amid the housing boom and the scramble for construction material along the Gulf Coast for reconstruction after Hurricane Katrina -- suppliers began importing drywall from China.

Much of the problematic drywall, which is also known as wallboard or plasterboard, was manufactured in China. One manufacturer that is dealing with the fallout is Knauf Plasterboard, Tianjin Co., a subsidiary of the German construction-material company Knauf International GmbH.

In a statement, Knauf Tianjin said it hired experts in 2006 to investigate complaints about an odor and found "no health concerns related to the odor or any emissions in the residences."

The drywall problems, which appear to be confined to south Florida, are sparking dozens of homeowner complaints at a time when home builders can little afford the expense and negative publicity.

"The building industry is in a situation where it doesn't need one more issue of negativity out there," said Gary Aubuchon, president of Aubuchon Homes, a small Cape Coral, Fla., builder that recently relocated one homeowner while the company tests his house's air and drywall, some of which was made in China.

Knauf Tianjin said the drywall is made of naturally mined gypsum. After investigating drywall odors, the company said it switched mines and installed a monitoring device to detect gases.

In some Florida developments, the drywall issue emerged after months of failures in heating and cooling systems.

Mr. Smith said his air-conditioning unit has had multiple problems since he moved into his Lennar townhouse in March 2007. He said repair workers were perplexed by the frequency of the units' failures.

Tests done at other developments by Environ, an environmental consulting firm hired by Lennar, found that in some cases they drywall was emitting sulfur-based gases, which can be corrosive to electrical equipment, such as copper air-conditioning coils.

Florida health officials say they still are investigating whether the Chinese drywall is causing the odors and other problems.

"We have to nail down whether it's a causal or coincidental association," said David Krause, a toxicologist in the Florida Health Department.

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Frankawitz

Here we go one more product China has F***KED up, when are people in this Country going to get through their heads STOP BYING CHINA'S PRODUCTS Holy C*rap they have KILLED people's Pets, come on, they Killed their own children. they make Toys painted with Lead base paints, now they are moving into building products, I swear American people are just plain STUPID


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MeatBallDryWall

Their not, most of em are phucking Stooooopid. I look at everything I buy & its really hard to find something actually made here. Phuck China

PA woodbutcher

That's because the manufacturers are all headed overseas to the cheap labor so they can give maximum earnings to their stockholders. I agree phuck china. I look pretty hard for American made first.

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j.m.s.

This problem has arisen in my neck of the woods, a development where the homes are 500G's and its eating away at the electrical wires. Heard it from my A.C. sub the other day.


Joe

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MeatBallDryWall

A-Men brother. The chineese can all go take a dump on each other & run aimlessly into the ocean for all I care. LoL

apehangeralfy

I was at the Unified Code Committee meeting yesterday and one of the Chief Inspectors said he is having issues with this stuff. It made the family sick, ate the copper in the air handler to the point of rupture and has effected all the electrical. The builder is eating the fix for now (sure there is a law suit on the way). The fix is to gut the house, cut the wire back to the insulation and replace all outlets, replace all copper plumbing, replace HVAC, re-drywall and finish, new carpet and flooring, replace all electronics and appliances and pay for the family's living expenses while the work is being preformed.... there are thousands of homes going to be effected by this.....

The first signs are flu like symptoms and a sulfur like smell....

MALCO.New.York

I would Venture to Bargain that the culprit is something in the board that is reacting poorly with the "Oh So Lovely" South Florida water!!!

Just my Limited Experience with South Florida.

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apehangeralfy

Not just a Fl problem but I'm sure that it we will be in the limelight cause of the number of houses that were thrown to gather during the boom.

Some of the rumors are is that "Fly Ash" was used as a "filler"... at least it looks like the sheet-rock guys will have work fixing these houses in the near future....

JonM

Great commercial for Chinese wallboard...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnKOsME2gXk

Tim0282

I'm wondering what would be in the rock that would allow it to eat away at things like wiring. I'm sure not for anything made by the Chinese when we have plenty of that renewable resource right here. Why would anybody go overseas to get it? Hard to imagine it would be any cheaper shipped across the ocean. I guess that is why I am a drywall finisher. I don't understand stuff like that. USG rock is so much easier to score and break. So is Gold Bond. ???

Frankawitz

Look at everything that comes from CHINA dog and cat food killed how many people's pets? then we had the Lead base paint on Our kids toys, Now drywall in peoples homes. When is the F***ING Goverment going to get off their azzes and start in forcing Quality Control of products coming to this Country? People need to write e mails to their Reps. we need companies like Wal Mart to be shut down and any company who carries China's Products.


www.frankawitz.net

Darren@Partners

Read somewhere that the flyash has sulfer in it and it turns into sulferic acid if memory serves correctly.