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Reports of Chinese Drywall Problems Bring Swift Response
The Florida Home Builders Association moved promptly last week in response to reports by home owners in the state of foul odors and air conditioning-related problems in homes constructed since 2005 with Chinese-made drywall.
The association announced that it would lend its support to efforts to determine the source of the problem and its potential impacts, and it commended the decision of the state’s attorney general to investigate “and to get Floridians the answers they deserve.”
“We need to know where this apparently defective drywall was manufactured, where it was sold and how many homes are potentially affected,” said Jay Carlson, president of the association and a builder in Port Charlotte, Fla.
Small- and large-volume builders have reported dozens of complaints, primarily from customers in south and southwest Florida, which they are addressing directly with the home owners. Several lawsuits have been filed against one known manufacturer of the product, Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin.
The drywall in question is believed to have been imported into the U.S. between 2005 and 2008. Most of the product appears to have entered the country in 2006 when markets in Florida and elsewhere across the country were experiencing shortages of essential construction materials in the aftermath of unprecedented devastation from the hurricane seasons of 2004 and 2005.
According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, the drywall entered the U.S. through numerous ports in states that included: Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Washington.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Florida Department of Health have announced their own investigations to determine whether the Chinese drywall poses a threat to public safety or health. However, according to reports, the Florida Health Department has no evidence at this time that the levels of gasses being emitted exceed those recognized as posing a risk to health.
“Any time home owners start to question the safety of the products in their home, we have a serious problem that we need to address right away,” said Carlson.
“We look forward to working with the attorney general and other governmental agencies to ensure that the manufacturers of any defective drywall products are identified and held responsible. Builders as well as home owners are the victims.”
For more information, e-mail David Jaffe at NAHB, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8317.
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