Florida Homeowners Sue Makers of Chinese Drywall

Thousands of Florida homeowners have filed a massive class-action lawsuit against makers of Chinese drywall, accusing the companies of supplying toxic building materials installed in their homes.

The suit, filed March 2, 2009 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, alleges that defective drywall made in China is emitting sulfur gasses, sickening residents of homes where the drywall was installed while corroding electrical wiring and damaging air conditioning units, furniture and other personal property.

Sulfur is a yellow crystalline solid that is widely used in fertilizers, but it also may appear in black gunpowder, matches, insecticides and fungicides. One chemical form of sulfur, sulfur dioxide, can at high concentrations react with moisture to form sulfurous acid, which may harm the lungs, eyes or other tissues.

Officials believe that sulfur in the drywall, when combined with the high Florida humidity, may be causing the sulfur to emit a gas that smells like rotten eggs.

Largest Defective Drywall Case Ever?

The homeowners’ lawsuit names as defendants Knauf Gips KG and three of its Chinese units, Knauf Plasterboard (Wuhu), Knauf Plasterboard (Dongguan) and Knauf Plasterboard (Tianjin). Homebuilders Tousa Homes Inc, TaylorWoodrow Communities, and South Kendall Construction also are named in the suit.

An attorney for the 30,000 homeowners in the suit called the defective drywall the worst case involving defective homes in U.S. history. Bill Nelson, a Florida Senator, has asked the U.S. Consumer and Product Safety Commission to investigate Chinese drywall, which could lead to ban on sales of the products in the U.S.

Housing Boom Fueled Imports of Chinese Drywall

More than 550 million pounds of Chinese drywall was imported to the U.S. during the housing boom from 2004 to 2006, officials said. It is estimated that as many as 60,000 homes may be affected by the defective building materials.

There is no easy way to fix the damage caused by the defective drywall, officials said. In most cases, owners of homes where the toxic drywall was installed are forced to move out, gut their homes to remove the toxic materials, and rebuild the interiors of the homes with new drywall before moving back in. Drapes, furniture, and other property that may have been contaminated by the sulfur gases must also be replaced, according to the homeowners’ attorney.

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