The drywall responsible for these problems was imported from China during the real estate boom from 2004 - 2006.  The defective drywall arrived at nearly two dozen ports around the country with seven of them in Florida, and the others include New York, Texas, New Orleans and California.  Usually drywall comes from within the U.S., however due to a shortage during the construction boom, many builders imported drywall from China.  Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin Co. Ltd. of China, a subsidiary of German-based manufacturer Knauf, manufactured the drywall. 

According to a report, homes built in southwest Florida by Lennar and Taylor Morrison are at the center of many of these complaints, although it is suspected that other builders may have also used the defective drywall.  A test conducted by Environ International on some of the Lennar homes last year found three gases – carbon disulfide, carbonyl sulfide and dimethyl sulfide.  Hydrogen sulfide, a particularly dangerous compound that causes the rotten egg smell, was not found in Environ’s air tests, but it was found in previous testing that the company conducted on the drywall itself. 

Signs your home may have the defective Chinese drywall:

• Unpleasant odor emitting from walls resembling rotten eggs
• Wiring that has corroded and/or turned black
• Piping that has turned black or needs replacing
• Silver jewelry that has turned black
• Air-conditioning system components that needs replacing
• Electrical problems
• Respiratory discomfort and other problems
• Eye irritations, nose bleeds and headaches