DW from China - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

boman47k · 10-16-2009, 09:11 AM

I see the dw from China thing is starting to really cause problems for a lot of folks, especially in Florida. No coverage by their insurance, insurance non-renwal notices, etc..

How do you know if you have used any of this stuff? A while back, I got some from HD and asked if it was from China. I was told, no it was not. Something about the rock did not seem right to me. Seemed a little wet and soft.

Another thing, will this mean more work for you guys in the future? If anyone has the money to have it changed.

JumboJack · 10-16-2009, 09:26 AM

I think most of the rock from China was bought direct.I read some place that big builders where buying containers full of it.

concretemasonry · 10-16-2009, 10:02 AM

The Chinese can make anything the buyer wants with a price to match what the buyer will pay. They can obviously make it better if you want to pay for them running their Mercedes, Audis and BMWs (if they want a "tank", they buy Buicks and Impalas).

The problem is with the big box buyers and the marketers/importers that will only pay a certain amount for the product providing it meets THEIR substandard specifications.

The big buyers can buy it by the ship load and not just a container and the Chinese can manufacture and ship it easily, but it may not be as good as what is used in Chinese construction (if they chose to use temporary, lightweight type construction).

China is an interesting place to see and visit if you are interested in construction, but don't expect to see too many rickshaws.

thom · 10-16-2009, 11:07 AM

That was a really confusing post concretemasonry but, if I understand what you think you said, I think you're wrong, at least as relates to big boxes.

I have heard nothing about the big boxes buying their rock in China. No one has yet suggested that they got bad rock at the big boxes. In fact, it was the big developers who were so intent on saving a buck that they bought the trash from China. Now that dog is biting them in the ass.

bwalley · 10-16-2009, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boman47k

I see the dw from China thing is starting to really cause problems for a lot of folks, especially in Florida. No coverage by their insurance, insurance non-renwal notices, etc..

How do you know if you have used any of this stuff? A while back, I got some from HD and asked if it was from China. I was told, no it was not. Something about the rock did not seem right to me. Seemed a little wet and soft.

Another thing, will this mean more work for you guys in the future? If anyone has the money to have it changed.

On the backside of the drywall, it will say

Made In China

I don't think HD sold Chinese drywall.

SelfContract · 10-16-2009, 11:56 AM

If HD sold china DW, they have been SUED!! (..hungry lawyers & HOs love to sue (not international though) !!)

boman47k · 10-16-2009, 04:28 PM

I hope Lowe's did not buy from China either. The last I bought was from Lowe's. Paid a little more, but the rock felt more normal. Besides, it was only a few pieces.

concretemasonry · 10-16-2009, 05:02 PM

I have no idea where the big boxes source/buy their drywall from, but they have a big effect on the market prices and product acceptability.

Very often, importers and marketers will not allow the term "Made in China" be on the product since it is sold through many different hands and companies.

The Chinese will sell anything to the naive customer, but it buyer beware!!! The was some bad milk protein supplements that were added to infant formulas that were exported. The problem the manufacturers made was selling it in China for domestic consumption. The major executives were sentenced to death within a month or two and long before the first appeals would have been heard in the U.S. The "surviving" executives suffered a worse punishment - life in prison in China.

bwalley · 10-16-2009, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by concretemasonry

I have no idea where the big boxes source/buy their drywall from, but they have a big effect on the market prices and product acceptability.

Very often, importers and marketers will not allow the term "Made in China" be on the product since it is sold through many different hands and companies.

The Chinese will sell anything to the naive customer, but it buyer beware!!! The was some bad milk protein supplements that were added to infant formulas that were exported. The problem the manufacturers made was selling it in China for domestic consumption. The major executives were sentenced to death within a month or two and long before the first appeals would have been heard in the U.S. The "surviving" executives suffered a worse punishment - life in prison in China.

the country where it is manufactured has to be on the product by law.

boman47k · 10-16-2009, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bwalley

the country where it is manufactured has to be on the product by law.

That was my assumption too. I was thinking that somewhere in the 30's or 40's that became law.

concretemasonry · 10-16-2009, 05:45 PM

The exporters/importers/peddlers do not always provide the information and the importing country requirements when the DW is made in the factory. - After all, it is only a ship or two once in a while to country that supplies the rest of the world and reportedly buys more U.S. produced cars than some U.S. companies can sell in the U.S.

China is much more important economically than people really believe and they are just digging out of communism and the marketers/exporters/importers are much quicker to get around the rules for each country that the public is willing to accept.

Apparently, Obama is too busy promising and not enforcing.

SLSTech · 10-16-2009, 06:29 PM

Lowe's & HD did not buy nor carry it - they have USG & others locked up tight (at the moment)

This junk came in after Katrina & drywall prices shot up - Remember Blowe's & HD are on the top of the feeding pile so they get there normal deliveries, which left alot of the smaller building yards scrambling to get materials to the contractors that were buying more sheetrock than normal.

MeatBallDryWall · 10-16-2009, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Now that dog is biting them in the ass

I hope it not only bites them but mauls & takes a piss on them after the fact.

Maybe one day this country will have an awakening on all this China

.
Or maybe Obama will give them all a nice hand job while kissing their (_I_)

2 words will sum it all up-------> Stupid *****.

FremontREO · 10-16-2009, 08:29 PM

This is probably old news to most but if not there is some interesting tidbits. Remediation companies are starting to "ramp up" to fight the mold that this drywall seems to attract. Been contacted numerous times to help remediate but for now nobody knows who is "going to pay the bills" so I say "who wants to work for an IOU"?

Tips to determine if your home has Chinese-made drywall:

Your home was built between 2004-06: There was a shortage of drywall during this period, so more than 500 million pounds was shipped in from China.
Your home has a foul smell: Homeowners with Chinese-made drywall complain of a strong odor of sulfur, or what smells like rotten eggs.
You notice metal and copper corroding: Chinese drywall is reported to corrode metal and copper, notably air-conditioning coils and electrical wiring, with a black coating.
You identify your drywall as made in China: Some affected drywall will state it is made in China. Other Chinese drywall bears the mark of manufacturers, including Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin, Knauf Gips, and Taishan Gypsum Co.
Lennar Corp., Aubuchon Homes, Meritage Homes, Ryland Homes, Standard Pacific Homes, Taylor Morrison and WCI Communities are all builders confirmed to have used drywall imported from China.

concretemasonry · 10-16-2009, 08:35 PM

The exporters/importers/peddlers do not always provide the information and the importing country requirements when the DW is made in the factory. - After all, it is only a ship or two once in a while to country that supplies the rest of the world and reportedly buys more U.S. produced cars than some U.S. companies can sell in the U.S.

China is much more important economically than people really believe and they are just digging out of communism and the marketers/exporters/importers are much quicker to get around the rules for each country that the public is willing to accept.

Apparently, Obama is too busy promising and not enforcing.

FremontREO · 10-16-2009, 08:53 PM

dang Dick that is still a nice fish

Big Shoe · 10-18-2009, 07:20 AM

Something I have to point out here. We did not order drywall from China bcause it was cheaper. The fact of the matter was we could not make it fast enough to keep up with the demand. We were sitting on alot of new homes waiting for that stuff to come in the port. Not knowing what was going to happen down the road.

I

thom · 10-18-2009, 04:42 PM

here's the latest news on the subject

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125564911387588795.html