Chinese drywall complaints mount ahead of investigation reports

The inside of Michele Carrone's Riverview town home has been torn down to the studs. Crews are busy removing any remnants of toxic drywall imported from China.

Carrone is one of dozens in the River Walk community who found out they have tainted drywall. She's expected to move back in January and is thrilled with the way her builder, Columbus, Ohio-based MI Homes, has handled the situation.

"They've been amazing," Carrone said as she checked on the progress at her home Monday. "I'm living in a big, nice house while I wait, and I'll have a brand new home when I come back."

She's one of the lucky ones.

As investigations continue and lawsuits mount, more Floridians are discovering their homes were constructed with toxic drywall imported from China. Some have nowhere to turn because their builder has gone out of business or is unresponsive.

The state has received nearly 600 complaints from homeowners who fear they have the tainted drywall.

Meanwhile, The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is moving forward with plans to visit several sites in China where the imported drywall was manufactured. The agency has received 800 complaints about the product and is also conducting indoor air samples of homes in Florida and other states.

The toxic drywall emits a corrosive gas that damages appliances, gives off a rotten-egg stench. It was used in an estimated 100,000 houses nationwide built during the housing boom. The health effects of the drywall are still under investigation, but homeowners have complained of headaches, dry eyes, rashes and respiratory problems.

Agencies, including the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and state health departments are investigating.

The consumer product safety commission is expected to announce results soon of testing for radioactive phosphogypsum by the Florida health department and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The toxic drywall has been found in 23 states, but the majority of complaints are from Florida. That's partly because humidity brings out the corrosive gas faster, experts say.

The drywall was used because of a shortage during the aftermath of hurricanes. Builders typically use domestic drywall but turned to the imported drywall during the housing boom, mainly from 2004 through 2007.

Builders say they didn't know about the bad drywall because subcontractors ordered it from distributors.

Some builders have offered to move residents out of their homes, tear out all the bad drywall and replace appliances and wiring. It costs an estimated $100,000 per home to make the repairs.

Lennar Corp. said last month in a securities filing that it has set aside about $40 million to repair 400 houses in Florida. Some homeowners are joining class-action lawsuits against home builders, drywall manufacturers and distributors. Many of the suits are being consolidated in federal court in New Orleans.