Product Liability Attorney Blog

The failure to remove sulfur and other contaminants from synthetic gypsum may be to blame for the problems associated with Chinese drywall, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Drywall, used in home construction, is a layer of gypsum sandwiched between two sheets of paper. Although most drywall is made in the United States, shortages during the last housing boom led to imports from China.

In addition, some of the drywall is made of synthetic gypsum made from a chemical process using lime or limestone and gas from coal-fired power plants. However, the smokestacks contain sulfur which must be removed from the synthetic gypsum.

Some Chinese experts in building materials believe flawed desulfurization methods were used.

Homeowners from around the United States who are living with contaminated drywall have complained of a rotten-egg smell, itchy eyes, runny noses, nosebleeds, headaches and asthma attacks. The contaminated drywall has also been linked to corroded pipes, wires and appliances.

Continue reading "Contaminants in Synthetic Gypsum may be Linked to Chinese Drywall" »

Experts in Florida worry that the fear of buying a home containing Chinese drywall may hurt the real estate market, The Tampa Tribune reports.

Home buyers are wary of purchasing a house with Chinese drywall. Prospective buyers are being advised to add a clause in the sales contract which would allow the agreement to be cancelled if Chinese drywall is discovered before closing. Potential buyers are also urges to hire a professional inspector if the house was built between 2004 and 2007 and to watch for corroded or black electrical wiring, tarnished metal or silver and the smell of rotten eggs.

The imported drywall was primarily used between 2004 and 2007, when destruction by hurricanes and the housing boom led to a shortage of drywall. As many as 100,000 homes throughout the nation are thought to contain the drywall which emits a corrosive gas that smells like rotten eggs and corrodes wires and appliances. More than 450 complaints have been lodged with The Florida Department of Health. The majority of homes contaminated with Chinese Drywall have been found in Florida.

Common health complaints made by homeowners living with Chinese drywall include sore throats, dry eyes, nosebleeds and dizziness.

Continue reading "Chinese Drywall Could Delay Housing Rebound" »

This week, the nominee to head the Consumer Product Safety Commission was grilled about the problem of tainted Chinese drywall during her U.S. Senate confirmation hearing.

According to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, nominee Inez M. Tenenbaum promised to work quickly to resolve the Chinese drywall problems. She added that, if confirmed, her first step would be to meet with scientists and set up a schedule for testing.

Some senators criticized the ‘wait-and-test’ approach. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., called the investigation’s pace “inadequate.” Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said victims face a “Kafkaesque tragedy.”

Continue reading "CPSC Nominee Faces Questions about Chinese Drywall" »

Construction workers hanging Chinese drywall complained of the off-putting stench to home developers, according to a Broward-Palm Beach New Times online report.

According to journalist Eric Barton, some construction workers refused to work with the Chinese drywall, afraid that the smell meant the material was rotten. Barton also writes that some contractors told workers to paint the drywall quickly in order to mask the smell.

Homeowners have been driven out of their houses by the rotten-egg smell of sulfur dioxide. The sulfur dioxide can be toxic and has been blamed for corroding wires and pipes leading to the ruin of appliances and household systems such as air conditioners. The Consumer Product Safety Commission indicates that the problems seem to be concentrated in homes built in 2006 and 2007.

Continue reading "Chinese Drywall Stench Detected by Construction Workers" »