Chinese Drywall Problems May Impact 300,000 Homes Nationwide
So far, problems with Chinese Drywall have mainly been reported in Florida, where an estimated 36,000 homes are believed to contain the defective drywall. However, nationwide it is believed that as many as 300,000 homes could have been built with the drywall from China.
The Chinese drywall attorneys at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. are reviewing potential lawsuits on behalf of homeowners who have homes that were built with the bad drywall. Millions of pounds of defective drywall were imported into the United States between 2002 and 2007, after a shortage of U.S.-made drywall was caused by a housing boom and construction surge following the 2005 hurricanes.
The Chinese drywall problems have been linked to the presence of strontium sulfide and elemental sulfur, which could generate hydrogen sulfide, corbonyl sulfide and carbon disulfide when exposed to high relative humidity or heat. These gases can produce a strong smell of rotten eggs, corrode electrical wiring and copper throughout the home, and destroy air conditioners and other appliances.
Serious health problems have also been linked to the toxic drywall, including:
- Respiratory Irritation
- Headaches
- Eye Irritation
- Nose Bleeds
- Coughing
- Difficulty Breathing
Most of the reported Chinese drywall issues have surfaced in the southeast, where humid and moist conditions exist. However, homeowners throughout the United States may have the defective drywall, even if they have not yet experienced problems. Problems have been discovered so far in Florida, Louisiana, Virginia, Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina and California.
CHINESE DRYWALL ATTORNEYS
Chinese drywall imported into the United States could cause billions of dollars in damages for homeowners. The manufacturers, importers, suppliers, distributors, builders and others who were in a position to prevent the problems, should be held responsible for their share of the damages they caused.
To speak with one of our Chinese drywall attorneys and find out if you and your family may be entitled to financial compensation, request a free consultation and claim evaluation.
13 Comments • Add Your Comments
Rick Hollister says:
I think it is a little premature to put a number on this case. We have not yet agreed on the analytical testing. We have not even determined the remedial scope or protocols will be to clean this mess up. Good luck getting any money out of the Chinese companies. Then there are the insurance companies. Some of the contractors and distributors are not even covered for this so the insurance companies will say. We do not know what long term damage to the health or the property is going to be yet too many questions are still unanswered.
I have met with some of the top experts in the IAQA field and from around the country in the last month and as an environmental investigator and consultant for 15 years, I think we have a long road ahead of us. Beware of any guarantee solutions to fixing the problem i.e. fogs, foam, and sprays. We don’t even know if this stuff has embedded itself into the wooden substrates in the wall. We have been getting calls from Florida, Alabama, and Louisiana and Mississippi and now have evidence of possible fraud that may be able to be linked to either the manufacture or distributors.
We would be interested in hearing from other people experiencing Chinese Sheetrock problems as every case seems to have different details and precursors. We are putting a team of experts together to tackle the long term effects and to opine on the scope and protocols to properly remediate the homes and all the effected personal property.
Rick Hollister CEI, CMR, CLI
Environmental Administrators, Inc
Tallahassee, Fl.
rhollister@environmentaladministrators.com
Posted on April 7, 2009 at 3:18 pm
jack says:
My home in Alabama has the drywall from China!First problem started with the aircondition breaking down at least 10 times.We are on the third a-coil.The aircondition company says they are working on a aluminum one and when developed.They will install it.But now i find the wireing is turning black.The government should make it a priorty to recall all the drywall from China.Due to the toxic chemicals that it emits.One contractor says the home may have to be gutted.
Posted on April 16, 2009 at 12:13 am
martha says:
i just purchase a forecloser home in the high desert in Califorina, I have been in the house just about five weeks now, I drilled into the drywall to put in molly screws to hang curtains and every room I have done this in there is a smell like a dead animal and it lasts for a couple of days, once when I turned the heater on and I thought it was coming from the air ducts, but I hung curtains in two more bedrooms last night and the same stinking smell started all over again, is this anywhere near being the drywall they are talking about from China, It is a very bad smell almost like smelling rotten eggs but I think it is worst than that..desperate to find out.
Posted on April 21, 2009 at 1:21 am
Anupama says:
Hi,
I am from a Lennar build community in windemere, after we moved in here. We definetely experienced health problems. Repiratory problems among all the family members. Eye irritation, when we use the humidifiers in the house. Nose bleeds have become very common. All of our teeth started getting discolored and cavities suddenly. Severe cough, which I never had my life time. Kids vomited for no reason and suddenly they were alright. Our heater broke few times. When we called for repairs, they said the wiring was not done properly. We could not understand. We need help on someone coming and testing the problem of drywall exists in our newly 2008 built house.
Posted on April 23, 2009 at 8:28 am
Russ says:
I would like to know if I puchased a house with that defective drywall and gutted it myself, would I be able to just put it in a dumpster to be taken to the local landfill or are their laws or regulations against that.
Posted on June 5, 2009 at 4:29 pm
sharon says:
My home was built after Katrina in 2005–we have outlets that have just stopped working–we have had to replace 2 tvs and my daughter has had a serious health problems-pneumonia-but the coughing was just as bad before pneumonia-I haven’t detected a smell but my children have had unusual sickness-major respiratory problems-one night I had to rush my daughter to the emergency room because she couldn’t breathe how do I know If I too have chinese drywall?
Posted on July 14, 2009 at 7:14 am
Robert says:
my home was built in 2007. in the past couple of months all three a/c coils have failed. me and my mom are sick. i cough up blood and my eyes burn only when im home and its hard to breathe your chest hurts so bad you feel like your having a heart attack. i was told it takes 1 to 2 year(s) for a lawsuit. and any actions won’t be done until than. goodluck to all
Posted on July 28, 2009 at 5:24 pm
jim says:
have 2006 homes of merit of lake city florida,for 18 months have been on a dozen or more runs of antibiotics, severe congestion, nose bleeds, flu symptoms,teeth becomeing loose and falling out in a matter of weeks,and have moved out of home may of 2009 and am still sick,the dealer or manufacter will not fess up to what it is , seems pretty clear. bottom of home is covered with mold and spores,can’t seem to get help
Posted on January 12, 2010 at 1:58 pm
TG says:
I moved in my new $700,000.00 home and within 2 weeks begain waking with a rotten egg taste in my mouth. I wanted to throw up. I work out of my house office so here all day and I stay sick all day. I went on vacation a week and the last 3 days all sickness was about gone. I had to be rushed to ER back in Oct. due to nit able to breath much at all. Chest pains, weakness. I still am very sick with treatment for asthma. 9 medicinces and 2 breathing machines. One at night and every 4 hours a day. Still getting worst. But, Dr. still believe asthma but just yesterday are confused cause I should be better by now. Eyes run and are very red.
Posted on April 10, 2010 at 11:54 am
ELIZABETH says:
YOU MAY WANT TO HAVE YOUR GAS FIREPLACE LOGS CHECKED IF THEY HAVE TURNED JET BLACK,AND LOOK AS IF THEY ARE CRUMBLING.THIS IS WHAT MINE LOOKED LIKE WITHIN A YEAR OF NEW HOME.HAD TESTED,WAS FROM CHINA AND WERE RELEASING TOXIC FUMES…………..
Posted on July 25, 2010 at 8:30 pm
Bobbie says:
We moved from Alaska to Fort Bragg and moved into their new subdivision where there are over a thousand homes, We have never been as sick as we have been here, My 4 year old came down with a horrible rash on her face and body, Nose bleeds that she has never had, my husband in the past 5 months we have been here has just out of the blue for no Aparent reason thrown up 3 times, and has been having severe sweats, I have had an upper respitory Problem now for a month and the doctors can’t figure out why, Our 10 year old has had very bad headaches and sinus infections is what dr’s have been saying, Our 7 year old son has asthma syptoms, Our water smells like sulfer, and are ice in our fridge smells like someones rotten feet i have put in work orders for the water issue and they have came up with nothing, My treadmill Blows out all the power in the living room and its not all that powerfull, my husband and i are considering moving off base into different housing .. But with all this could this be do to chinese Drywall? we are not the only ones on our block having these issues there are tons of people getting sick just on our block…
Posted on December 15, 2010 at 11:47 pm
hoodwink1 says:
As much as I would like to believe scientific data that says CDW is not harmful long range.
I can not accept that as fact and would not sign off on anything that does not procure a means for long term consequences of exposurer.Were was the scientific community and are goverment officials in determining that asbestos was a hazard not only to workers but to the public as well. How long did it take to determine that smoking was not good for you or that second hand smoke is just as bad. The fact that most product manufactuers will always produce results that bad products have no long term health affects. As an owner of a CDW home ,one must certainly look at the gas but also on the particulite that was breathed in as well as ingested. The homes were constanltly releasing fine matter which was evident on all surfaces in the home,you could clean it and go back 20 minutes latter and have the same fine particles. Last on the agenda how many homes are involved, not only does no one have any idea ,but to give some credence to the topic just think if Lowes did infact sell drywall to the public think of how many small construction remodels can be added to the list. And although Lowes wants to settle their portion of which they claim they did not sell CDW why are they rushing to settle. When gas can accomplish distruction of a light fixture inside of 4 months I would say you have a very high concentrtion regardless of what the talking heads say.
I hear a train a coming and it certainly sounds like a railroading to me.
Posted on March 8, 2011 at 10:24 am
Helen says:
Jim, we bought a home from homes of merit also. We too have mold on the underside of the floor and floor joist. The home has an odor that would be like something is off gassing. Maybe a chemical. We have had the house for twenty months. We too have had to move out. Do you have a chemical smell as well as the mold? If you would like to get in touch with me , just let me know
Posted on December 26, 2012 at 10:26 pm