Chinese Drywall
From Lawyer-personal-injury
Chinese Drywall
Drywall (also called wall board) is a wide, flat board used to cover walls or partitions and is used primarily to form the interior walls of houses. In the past, drywall manufactured in the United States was used in most all American construction jobs. However, beginning in 2004 U.S.-made drywall began to be in short supply due to the housing construction boom coupled with post-hurricane construction and renovations. As a result, building materials including drywall was imported from other countries such as China. Unfortunately, much of the drywall imported from China was defective. The Chinese-manufactured drywall emits strong toxic gases that have a sulfurous or rotten-egg-like odor. Hot and humid conditions can intensify the odor and effect of the gases. In addition to creating problems within your home, Chinese drywall may also cause health problems such as allergy symptoms or respiratory problems.
The majority of homes with Chinese drywall should be located in the Gulf States - Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. However, imported Chinese drywall may have been distributed all over the United States. Lennar Homes, a national home builder, estimated that 40,000 - 50,000 of the homes it built between 2005 and 2007 may contain Chinese drywall.
It is believed that most of the defective Chinese drywall was manufactured at one of the three Knauf Gips KG (a German company) production sites in China. Indicators that your home may contain Chinese drywall include the following:
- It may be marked “Made in China” or “Knauf”. However it is possible that the drywall may have been re-branded when it was imported into the U.S.
- It emits a strong sulfurous or rotten egg odor.
- Wiring, plumbing fixtures, light fixtures, and other decor near the suspected drywall may turn black.
- Air conditioning components may corrode.
- Electronic devices may stop working.
If you suspect that your home may contain Chinese drywall, contact us today to explore your legal rights. The law varies as to the amount of time you have to file a claim. Therefore, it is important that you consult an attorney as soon as possible.
