Chinese Drywall Lawsuit: Find out if you have defective drywall in your home
Thousands of homes throughout the United States could have defective drywall from China that contains high levels of sulfur compounds that release dangerous and destructive gases under certain conditions. The Chinese drywall attorneys at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. are reviewing potential lawsuits and have spoken with many homeowners who are concerned that their homes may be impacted.
>>Find out if you have a Chinese Drywall Lawsuit
Unfortunately, there is no simple way to determine if you have defective Chinese drywall. If you are able to get to a location where the back of the sheetrock can be viewed, finding a marking that indicates it is “Made in China” is the most definitive method. The defective drywall may contain markings such as:
- “CHINA”
- “MADE IN CHINA”, or
- “KNAUF- TIANJIN” which designates the specific manufacturer
Viewing the back of the drywall will often require the homeowner to enter the attic or crawl space and pull back the insulation. However, some of the drywall may have no discernible markings or it is possible that only a portion of the drywall used to construct the home was made in China.
Many homes constructed with Chinese drywall have developed unpleasant odors, ranging from sulfurous rotten egg smells to chemical or dirt-like odors. However, homeowners who live in the homes often become immune to the smell after a period of time, and it may not even be apparent to them anymore.
Other methods of detecting Chinese drywall involve looking for visible signs of premature copper corrosion caused by the sulfur gases emitted by the drywall under certain circumstances. This is usually indicated by a black or sooty coating on copper pipe leading to the air handling unit in a garage or other mechanical closet of the home. It could also appear on un-insulated copper wiring, such as electrical outlets, in-wall speaker wire or other wiring that appears blackened at the exposed ends.
Another Chinese drywall problem that has confirmed the presence of the defective drywall in many homes is documented failure of the air conditioner evaporator coil, which causes the premature failure of relatively new air conditioning units. The air conditioner coil will appear blackened inside the air handler unit, as opposed to normal corrosion on the coils which appears as a blue/green, dark orange or dark red rust color.
CHINESE DRYWALL ATTORNEYS
If you, a friend or family member own a home which has exhibited any of these signs, our attorneys can help determine whether financial compensation may be available through a Chinese drywall lawsuit.
Unfortunately, in most cases it is necessary for every piece of drywall in the home to be replaced and in some cases the sulfur compounds may have penetrated the wood structure of the home. The financial damages caused by the defective drywall from China can be devastating for a family, in addition to potential health problems that could be linked to the corrosive gases.
To have a case reviewed by our Chinese drywall attorneys, request a free consultation and claim evaluation.
