Chinese Drywall - Causing Big Stink!

First in was asbestos, then radon, then mold, now there is a new home owners problem: Chinese drywall. Just recently, in the last couple of months, some homeowners have been faced with a whole new set of problems. After hurricane Katrina that ravaged New Orleans and other areas of the south, drywall became in short supply. Some primarily large corporate builders purchased drywall manufactured by Chinese companies by the barge load. This Chinese drywall seemed fine when installed and with painting and finishing, who would know or suspect a problem. Indeed there was not a problem until recently. Occupants of home built with Chinese drywall 3-5 years ago, recently started to experience health problems. Flu like symptoms. Toxicologists have found Chinese drywall is emitting sulfur containing gases that is corroding copper fixtures, air conditioning coils, electrical wiring, and home electronics. Imagine what it is doing to the insides of a human body. Home owners have noticed unusual problems recently with there 3 and 4 year old homes like leaking air conditioners, drains that become pitted, and mirrors that have turned black. Home owners themselves have complained of headaches, post-nasal drip, and burning eyes, couphing up blook, and just feeling lousy. And the smell, like burned matches or rotten eggs, will overpower the senses.
The remedy? Tear out the drywall completely and start over. Lawsuits are being filed, but in some cases, the contractor is out of business, a victim of our sluggish economy. Not sure how the insurance companies are treating this, it is all so new. There may be as many as 300,000 plus properties affected with this bad drywall. In Florida, many real estate companies are requiring disclosure forms relating to Chinese Drywall. Although initial reports are coming primarily in the south (Florida, Mississippi, Georgia, Louisiana) environmental watchdogs have found links to 41 states and expects to see it in all 50 states.
So whats to do? First, the problem seems to be in newer homes built within the last 5 years, although some reports go back to homes built in 2001. Check for unusual corroding of electrical wires and copper plumbing. Check for stamping identification on the back side of drywall, most often visible from an attic space. When building a home, I would recommend a statement from the contractor/builder that Chinese drywall would not be used in the construction of the home.
This can be a huge problem for a home owner and it begs the question. Are the Chinese companies that have manufactured the drywall taking any responsibility in the problem? Do our US companies have responsibility to shoulder in subcontracting out to Chinese manufactures, knowing their lack of quality and environmental standards. As for the consumer, are we driven by economies of price that we overlook our local supplier and inadvertently take on risks.
As we become more and more global in our economy, and as we re-evaluate ourselves when going through our current economic downturn, I can't help but think that our smaller and family owned businesses will be looked on with favor once again. Bruce Cornell, 3-17-09