Drywall Problems Escalate

Problematic drywall imported from China has been making headlines since 2008, when homeowners began complaining about sulfur odors and corrosion of copper wiring. Most of the complaints have come from southern states, where high temperatures and humidity seem to aggravate the problems. The issue has grown to national proportions, spawning a class-action lawsuit and involving Congress and several federal agencies. A new lawsuit against Georgia Pacific (GP) suggests that drywall made in the U.S., not just that made in China, may have some of the same problems.

Builder Michael Swidler of Lake County, Florida, and his wife Jill Swidler have brought a class-action suit against GP and supply company 84 Lumber, arguing that 289 sheets of GP’s ToughRock drywall caused corrosion in wiring and appliances, as well as a strong sulfur odor. According to court documents, the Swidlers vacated their house in 2009 because of the problems caused by the drywall. Melodie Ruse, a spokesperson for GP, noted that, “We are disappointed the Swidlers elected to pursue a lawsuit without first informing us of any issues and allowing us to investigate.” She continued, “We can say that we stand behind our products and take all customer complaints seriously.”

ToughRock, like many similar products on the market, is made with a mixture of natural gypsum and synthetic gypsum, a waste product from flue-gas desulfurization at coal-fired power plants. A mixture of limestone, water, and air is sprayed into a plant’s flue gas, causing a chemical reaction that converts calcium carbonate into calcium sulfate—gypsum. This is then used in drywall products to replace natural gypsum. The process has long been considered environmentally friendly, since it uses a waste product from power production and limits mining for natural gypsum.

Synthetic gypsum has been implicated in the imported drywall scandal, but it’s unclear whether it’s actually causing the problems. A small-scale study performed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in May 2009 found that levels of sulfur and strontium in Chinese drywall taken from houses where complaints had been reported were much higher than those in drywall manufactured in the U.S., including samples of GP’s ToughRock purchased at a retail location near the EPA testing facility. The ToughRock that was tested did have high levels of several semi-volatile organic compounds. EPA did not speculate on what effect high sulfur, strontium, or organic compound levels may have on indoor air quality, or whether any of these chemicals are the source of the corrosion problems being seen in so many houses.

– Allyson Wendt

For more information:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Report (pdf)