National Gypsum Focus of New Drywall Lawsuit
January 26, 2010 — U.S. drywall manufacturer National Gypsum has been named in a class-action lawsuit for producing wallboard with similar corrosive properties to defective Chinese drywall. National Gypsum has denied blame for their product being the cause of corrosion of air conditioning coils, wiring, and other metals in the home affected by sulfuric gas.
The homes of lead plaintiffs in the case against National Gypsum exhibit the same characteristics of a home with contaminated Chinese drywall, which include:
- Continuous failure of air conditioning coils, or HVAC units beyond anything normal. Copper coils have turned black, or a grayish black.
- Oven, or stove elements, or refrigerator coils may have failed a number of times.
- Failure of electrical appliances–computer, TV sets, radios, DVD players, smoke detectors microwave information display panels may have failed.
- Corroded, or black electrical wiring.
- High-end silver jewelry or silver-plated utensils may be tarnished.
- Light bulbs in homes with toxic drywall may burn out at a much faster rate than specified by the manufacturer.
- The smell of rotten eggs.
According to a Florida official quoted by the Herald Tribune, a home involved in the National Gypsum suit is one of the worst examples of contaminated drywall he has seen. 90% of the drywall in the home was from National Gypsum–none of the drywall was sourced from China.
Sulfur Compounds Emitting From National Gypsum Drywall
Independent testing has shown sulfur compounds on A/C coils and wiring in homes with National Gypsum drywall. University of Florida professor Dr. Timothy Townsend tested samples of National Gypsum drywall produced in three states over the course of five months. Townsend’s research found that sulfur gases were being emitted from National Gypsum drywall. In a Dec. 2 statement, the company said it did not believe the levels of sulfur gases found by Townsend were enough to cause corrosion in homes.
As more testing is done, it is becoming increasingly clear that Chinese drywall is not the only drywall with sulfur contamination problems. If your home is showing signs of sulfur contamination, the only solution is to replace all of the defective wallboards in the home. This can result in having the entire home re-drywalled. Not only is this a costly procedure, but also it requires the residents to vacate the home while the work is being completed. With over 25 years of experience protecting consumer’s rights from defective and harmful products, our attorneys are here to help you. If you are having problems with National Gypsum or Chinese drywall, please contact one of our attorneys evaluating drywall claims.