New Orleans Homeowner Concerned, But Chinese Drywall Lawsuits Consolidated

New Orleans, LABeverly says she was re-building her mother's home in New Orleans when she noticed something wrong with the drywall. "I didn't have any idea what the problem was nor was I aware of the Chinese drywall issue," says Beverly. "I was about to file a complaint with the Attorney general or the Consumer Affairs department because I think there was such a large demand for drywall in the wake of Katrina, residents here were getting a substandard product."

Beverly's property in California has gone through many repairs and renovations—she is aware of how drywall should perform. "I've had a lot of experience with drywall and my mum's house was wrong—this stuff would just crumble from hanging drapery hardware," explains Beverly. "Even when the contractor was trying to nail in the drywall it would crumble and produce large holes in the material.

"Recently I heard something on the news or online about a Chinese drywall class action lawsuit and I said 'Ohmygosh', this is the problem with my mum's house. We got the drywall from Home Depot so I called them and asked where they purchased it. They assured me it didn't come from any vendors that used Chinese drywall. At the time I didn't pursue the issue, mainly because I was going through all the work with my mother's re-building. We completed the project but we don't know if she is going to have any problems in the future: I imagine it might take a few years for these issues, such as copper corrosion and air conditioner problems, to manifest.

We just dealt with it—we cut out the drywall in patches and carried on. I remember when we were kids, when we used drywall as chalk. But this stuff crumbles like sand. I just finished my Mum's home in May of 2008 but everything was completed at the end of last year. I am going back there in 2 weeks to see if there is any evidence of corrosion or any of the Chinese drywall symptoms described. What do you do, start all over again?

Home Depot hasn't taken any responsibility for anything. I heard that you can see a stamp on the back of the drywall but I don't want to start tearing out walls. I'm hoping and praying that the information Home Depot gave me is correct. Even if they didn't supply Chinese drywall, it is definitely substandard. It definitely did not perform the way I am used to; I don't know if that is just part and parcel of manufacturers cutting back and putting out a lesser quality drywall—it seems like a lot of products are defective these days and Chinese drywall is just one of them.

An attorney has been in touch with me but first I have to determine if in fact my mother's home has been built with Chinese drywall—and we might have to wait one or two years…"

Last month a federal panel issued an order consolidating Chinese drywall liability lawsuits before a New Orleans judge. One attorney estimates there could be up to 1,000 homeowner suits nationwide by people who bought and/or built homes with Chinese drywall, primarily in the Southeast, since 2005. Some complainants say drywall manufactured by Knauf Plasterboard (the company has plants in China) emits sulfur gas that corrodes wiring and ruins appliances such as air conditioning units. Some homeowners also claim they have been forced to leave their homes because of respiratory problems. To date, Knauf has said there is no evidence that medical problems are caused by the drywall.

Another attorney in Florida said the consolidated litigation will allow plaintiffs' attorneys to share information and avoid costly duplicative court costs.