Up To 36,000 Florida Homes Contain Chinese Dry Wall: Report

Up to 36,000 single-family houses in Florida and 100,000 homes nationwide are estimated to contain the sulfur-smelling, metal tarnishing, appliance ruining, wire corroding, Chinese dry wall, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

No estimates have yet been made public on the number of condominiums units - where a typical project will have 300 to 500 residences a single tower - built out in the United States with the sulfur-scented Asian wallboard.

"Expectations are that the same regions that are now struggling with an oversupply of new condos built during the boom years could soon be faced with the added challenge of Chinese dry wall," said Peter Zalewski, a principal with the Bal Harbour, Fla.-based real estate consultancy Condo Vultures® LLC. "South Florida, Las Vegas, and San Diego are three areas that we could envision having a problem."

Developers imported dry wall in large quantities from China during the building boom years of 2003 to 2007 in response to rising prices and a shortage of materials.

Some of that drywall now hung in homes and condos across the nation was created with a combination of ingredients that puts off a sulfurous smell, ruins electronics, and corrodes wiring.

Headaches, nose bleeds, and sore throats are the typical health complaints made by individuals living in homes with Chinese dry wall.

Litigators are now organizing homeowners in hopes of negotiating with developers to replace the Chinese dry wall and corroded wiring, and provide reimbursements for the damaged electronics and appliances.

State and federal officials and politicians are also scrambling to better understand the problem.

The Florida Department of Health is studying the issue after receiving more than 100 complaints. U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., has introduced a bill that calls for a "recall and an immediate ban" on the problematic Chinese dry wall, according to the Sun-Sentinel.

"In the end, the Chinese dry wall will be replaced," Zalewski said. "The question is, who will pay for it?"

Peter Zalewski is a principal with the consulting company Condo Vultures® LLC and a licensed real estate broker with Condo Vultures® Realty LLC. Peter can be reached at 305-865-5629 or by email at peter@condovultures.com. Don't forget to sign up for our weekly Market Intelligence Report for detailed condo reports. Looking for a property at a deep discount? You are encouraged to take a peek at the Vultures Database . Our new book Miami's Great Condo Crash: A Chronicle of the Boom and Bust is now available. Want to see every foreclosure filed in South Florida since 2007? Check out our Foreclosure Database.

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