The Virginian-Pilot
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A prominent local developer is inspecting nearly 60 homes it built in Chesapeake and Virginia Beach because they are suspected of containing Chinese-made drywall that appears to emit a sulfur-based gas.
The Dragas Companies confirmed Monday that the imported drywall was installed by a subcontractor, unbeknownst to the development firm, in some homes at The Hampshires at Greenbrier in Chesapeake and in Cromwell Park in Virginia Beach.
The company said it is paying to fix homes with imported drywall and also helping residents relocate for a few months while the work is being done.
Chesapeake city and health department officials are investigating as well.
"There is general consensus that the gas that is emitted contributes to corrosion of wiring in appliances and may evoke respiratory or (gastrointestinal) complaints in persons who are particularly sensitive (similar to some persons' responses to fresh paint)," Dr. Nancy Welch, director of the Chesapeake Health Department, wrote in an e-mail. She said the high-risk or permanent health effects are unknown.
Chesapeake - as well as some elected officials - learned about the case from Barry Ryan, whose 83-year-old father moved into one of the condominiums at The Hampshires in 2006. By 2008, Barry Ryan said his father, Orville, began to develop rashes and respiratory problems. A doctor couldn't figure out what was wrong.
In an e-mail to state legislators and newspaper editors, Ryan attached two articles detailing allegations that Chinese-made drywall was corroding electrical and mechanical equipment in some Florida homes.
Attorneys have filed class-action lawsuits arguing that defective drywall also has led to problems in homes in Louisiana and Alabama.
The allegations come several years after suppliers began importing more drywall from China in 2006 to meet skyrocketing demand created by the housing boom and rebuilding effort after Hurricane Katrina, according to The Wall Street Journal. On Monday, Florida's health department said preliminary tests showed no specific health hazard from gases from the drywall, the Journal reported.
"I think a lot more studying needs to be done related to long-term health effects," Barry Ryan said Monday in an interview. "It does strike me that there is a large unknown public-health issue."
In a statement Monday, The Dragas Companies said it determined that the imported drywall installed at The Hampshires and Cromwell Park "appears to emit elevated levels of sulfur compounds that may corrode air conditioning coils, and may damage other mechanical and electrical systems over time." The developer said the drywall was imported by a U.S. supplier in 2006 and installed by a local subcontractor without Dragas' knowledge.
In January, Dragas became aware of an issue with imported drywall from one of its subcontractors and "moved immediately to determine if Chinese drywall had been used in any of our properties," according to the statement.
Other Dragas communities built during this time frame had domestic drywall supplied by a different subcontractor, the company said.
Dragas is one of the area's most well-known development companies, providing homes for more than 5,000 Hampton Roads families since it was founded in 1968.
Before the e-mail from Ryan, who is president of a university in California, two other residents of The Hampshires had previously contacted Chesapeake Health Department officials about issues such as odor or eye and throat irritation, Welch said.
In the first case from The Hampshires several months ago, the resident complained of a sulfuric odor in the home, said Robert Smith, Environmental Health Supervisor for the Chesapeake Health Department.
Smith paid a visit to the home and verified that the wallboard in the attic was made in China.
Top city officials are "studying the various jurisdictional and legal questions" surrounding the drywall issue, said Chesapeake spokesman Heath Covey. "Further action will be taken if the situation warrants."
Mike Saewitz, (757) 222-5207, mike.saewitz@pilotonline.com
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Industrial Waste Reused
The material in the drywall from China is most likely the residue from the scrubbing of emissions from coal fired power plants. Synthetic gypsum results from the dosing of gas emssions with lime to create a slurry of ash, metals - can you say mercury and lead - and other leftovers from generating electricity. The coal used in China probably is not a very high quality and is likely loaded with sulfur. Same thing happens right here in Virginia as well. Synthetic gypsum is begin generated at power plants right here in Virginia and the residues are being delivered to the gypsum plant in Norfolk. Some even believe that this stuff is also a good soil amendment material.
Industrial wastes and residues are in many things we use on a daily basis, from additives in potable drinking water, fertilizers used on plants and vegetables, and many other things, incuding drywall. Live in a bubble? Nope - just buyer beware.
Clarifying some confusion
Just fyi to readers: The Bill Dragas referenced in a comment below has no business relationship to The Dragas Companies, which is the subject of this story. Comments that confused those two have been removed. Thanks.
I do work for someone...
and the corporation has made (before last year) 7 digits in a year. The other electrical (commercial) company my owner has does 7 digits every year. For the record I'm not against profit nor do I think there needs to be a ceiling on how much anyone makes from the green helper all the way to the owner. That is capitalism! You should make as much money as you want to that is supported by the market. Help support my Dad by going out and replacing your aging truck with a new GM or Chevy truck...he's at 40 years and counting. While your at get a new Buick for your wife. #1 in reliability now!
Sheer Greed...I think
Sheer Greed...I think not....Thats the market, though 8 years ago the norm was 20-25K and most builders ecspecially the ones in Parade of Homes make alot more than that per home than 40 K. Once I pay for my Truck, Tractor, and Trailers, 4 different types of insurance and advertisement... that number goes down. I also have a Class A license that requires me to keep 55 thousand in liquid assets to keep it .How do you think big builders(not me.. Bill Dragas etc.) afford to live on the water with a big sportfisher out back. They cut quality, do volume and make Bank! You must work for somebody other than yourself...All Electrical contractors I know make 6 figures a year. A house I built in Surry a year and a half ago just sold and the home owner made 29K in this market...so my prices/profit are in line. I am starting his new and bigger home in April! Buy American!
So you are cutting your costs by...
not letting the other subs buy their own material and then marking it up to you. Congratulations! $40K a house? Is that an example of "sheer greed" (your words)? I've wired a lot of custom homes myself and I can't remember a single one where the GC supplied sheetrock, mud or paint but light fixtures yes. I wired 2 houses in Miars Plantation (1 for Homearama). The homearama house had decorators/interior designers that specified to the subs what materials and colors were to be used but that's it. I work for some smaller companies that employee their own framers/sheetrock/painters that supply those materials but that's it. I applaud your case for quality, that is all I'm interested in when it comes to GC's. Of course getting paid is right up there too.
Ok Paul..keep believing that
Ok Paul..keep believing that small margin crap. I have been building homes for a long time and I know what the profit margins are. The only subs that I dont personally buy materials for are the electricians and the plumbers. My electrician D.Coggins only uses top of the line materials including the gang boxes, no flimsy blue boxes in my houses. I demand that he uses the 1/8 inch thick brown gang boxes. The plumber uses only copper piping in my homes also. I set my own fixtures myself, so I purchase those. It costs me on average 3500.00 more for the nice things, but when I am making 40k per house(average)and more on McMansions, I can afford to upgrade.That is why I am still building now and not twiddling my thumbs. Quality keeps you busy! Buy American
FYI
Mose...virtually every sub-contractor is responsible for buying their own materials. GC's like the Dragas company accept bids and choose the people they work with and then they oversee them until final completion. They aren't the only homes in the country that have this sheetrock in them. Their is very little margin in homes like these (for anyone) that is why they are built in volume. It does cost less to have parts made in Mexico and that helps keep the price from being higher. Do I like the decline in quality? No. Keep it accurate billy. You can thank Slick Willy and his pet NAFTA for furthering this practice. If it was cheap JWB why did you buy it?
Poor quality material from China
I am happy to see that the contractor is on the spot to take care of the problem. Never the less, after all the problems that I have read about in regards to poor quality products from China I am not surprised. They like to use lead based paint in their toys, they give us pet food that will kill our dogs and now this. I'm only waiting to see the next product that we bought from China which is low in price and even lower in safety. I'm not sure how, but we need to hold them to the same standards that we hold our own country's producers. Needless to say, we as a people need to be more selective in what we buy and not just look at the price tag but the quality and safety of the products we buy as well.
Drywall Problem
I am impressed that Dragas has been proactive about this issue and has not tried to wait to fix it while they sue the installer and distributor who supplied the drywall without their knowledge. I was in the wholesale business for 26 years and this kind of aggressive reaction to help the customers is very unusual. The company I worked for would have waited to see how much they could collect from the people who caused the problem before they would aid the consumer. I am impressed with the approach taken by Dragas.
Dragas drywall
It appears that Dragas moved quickly once they became aware of the problem. They are certainly going beyond the minimum requirements to correct the problem, and provide the homeowners with every possible accommodation. More companies should be this responsive and concerned.