Comments on: Drywall update: Knauf Tianjin no insurance?

By: Chinese Drywall

Chinese Drywall — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 02:12:42 +0000

Chinese drywall is a huge issue. I don’t know that insurance would be capable of covering the issues at the level we are seeing.

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 14:01:16 +0000

I just discovered that my house has chinese drywall. The house is 3 years old. I’ve bought it less than a year ago. Since then I have replaced 5 evaporator coils. The coils were black, and corroded to the point of leaking freon. After a battle with the a/c man, distributor and manufacturer, each one of us researched the problem. I went in the attic and read the back of the sheetrock- Knauf-Tianjin,China -. I googled “Knauf” and there it was, the story of all the problems I have been experiencing.
The question is ” Do I spend another $ 150,000 to replace drywall, wiring, plumbing, appliances, etc. or just foreclose and let the bank deal with it ?”
Imagine if the other (100,000 plus) homeowners with bad drywall decided to foreclose. With some home values declining up to 50% or more, why would they fix it. What will that do to the economic recovery?

By: Brenda

Brenda — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 22:28:47 +0000

We have American defective drywall that is causing the same problem that the Chinese drywall is causing. Watch my story on
http://www.CBSNews.com “Bad Drywall Rots New Home” Most of the drywall in our home is National Gypsum & a few boards is from US Gypsum. If you know anyone that is having the same problem let me know!

By: Robert Gary

Robert Gary — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:58:24 +0000

Marcia what information do you have available on the Knauf Chinese drywall connection? Has your husbands brother ever seen a drywall board labeled “Knauf National Gypsum.” Your posting makes a very important connection if it can be substantiated.

By: A Thomas

A Thomas — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 02:55:39 +0000

Whether the Manufacturer has insurance, or not, may not matter. Whomever imported the material, or had it made under contract for delivery is going to prove to be just as, if not more liable than the Chinese factory, and probably even more collectable. If it turns out that Knauf (parent co.) arranged for the sale of the product, then they’ll be on the hook.

By: Marcia Lindenschmidt

Marcia Lindenschmidt — Sun, 31 May 2009 21:08:55 +0000

I have since learned that Natl. Gypsum ran out of their own drywall during the big reconstruction process after Katrina and Rita. They then bought it from Knauf. Also, my husbands brother, who runs and owns a refinishing company says that everyone has known about this for some time, and that when tested, 50% was gypsum, and 50% was ‘other’. He laughed and said that China had had a problem with toxins produced in other areas of work, so they filled in the drywall with these toxins in order to get rid of them. He thought it was funny. I did not.

By: Brad Dickler

Brad Dickler — Tue, 05 May 2009 16:12:46 +0000

Marcia,
National Gypson is a US mfg of dry wall.

By: Michael Lassig

Michael Lassig — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:13:28 +0000

The fact that the product was imported will complicate suing the manufacturer. When they say they dont have insurance they may mean their policy doesn’t cover suits brought in the United States. This might mean problems for building material distributers and installers because they would have coverage. The attorneys will target those with coverage.

By: Marcia Lindenschmidt

Marcia Lindenschmidt — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 02:24:32 +0000

I am looking at a house in Slidell La, that was under water for some time during the storm surge (Katrina), and the water smells like sulfur but the copper is unblemished. The name on the drywall is National Gypsum Co. Do any of you know if that company used Knauf drywall or not?

By: Jim Gourley

Jim Gourley — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:56:05 +0000

Amy, all I can suggest is that you do a Google news search on “chinese drywall problem” and you will get a lot of hits. Nearly all of the problem seems to be in Florida, and the state health department has been trying to figure this one out too. To the best of my knowledge there is no definitive answer on this yet, though some people have had their drywall replaced by their home builder. I do not think that builders would be replacing drywall if there wasn’t a problem. It could also be the case that just because it is from Knauf Tianjin does not necessarily mean that it is toxic. You aren’t having any problems, so that’s a good sign. But look towards Florida, especially in the Fort Myer area.