Toxic Chinese Drywall

[goodfellow]

Well, if the dog food scare and the high lead levels in children's toys aren't enough; here comes another scare.

Apparently the Chinese have struck again -- this time in the drywall industry

http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200901/1231948693.html

There is no accountability for Chinese companies, and they just keep dumping this **** in our laps.

Beware when purchasing Florida real estate --

 

[e-tek]

The Chinese didn't "Dump it in our laps" - it was imported by unscrupulous US contractors under the "profit is King" mantra. Same with the toys and dog food. US companies - needing higher profits margins, tied often to EPS (earnings per share) and stock prices - need to continually source cheaper product to sell - even if it means putting every American out of work, using slave labour in other countries and importing toxic goods. The CEO's are sleeping good in their gold-lined bedrooms.

 

[kbs2244]

I may want to put out a BS alert in this.
Drywall is famous for its need to be transported and stored in a well supported, flat, and dry environment.
If it isn’t used soon after mfg it loves to **** up moisture and then sag between those supporting strips.
I have a hard time believing it would stay flat enough to be used after an ocean trip half way around the world.
The temp and humidity in those containers on a trip along the Equator and through the Panama Canal must be real high.

 

[Matti]

They probably used waste gypsum generated from fertilizer manufacturing. This gypsum is contaminated with sulfur. Just my theory.

 

[Kevin54]

I didn't even know that they imported drywall

The Chinese didn't "Dump it in our laps" - it was imported by unscrupulous US contractors under the "profit is King" mantra.

To take it one step further....it's the government that lets this happen. How much lead and toxic waste are they going to allow to come into the country before someone finally says "NO MORE"

 

[Stuart in MN]

There are several news stories out there. This one seems to have more information on what happened, apparently it's mainly isolated to hurricane repair work in Florida a couple years ago. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28620905/

 

[SteveU]

I didn't even know that they imported drywall



To take it one step further....it's the government that lets this happen. How much lead and toxic waste are they going to allow to come into the country before someone finally says "NO MORE"

Getting elected/re-elected costs a LOT of money, probably directly related to the generosity of the offenders.

 

[FakeName]

Guys, it all comes back to the consumer. When we buy quality products instead of the cheapest price, we'll see quality products supplied to us. But as long as we want cheap electronics, cheap cars, cheap clothing, we get what we deserve.

I understand most here on GJ are seeking quality goods- so perhaps I'm preaching tot he choir. But somebody is demanding cheap stuff- and they're getting it.

 

[Cpt Panzer]

don't put the blame on any one but our selves , we are the ones buying all this chinese ****. take a stand America its time to support your neighbor down the street ,not the one across the sea. Make a stand ! buy American !

 

[sparky1562]

That is why I don't shop at Walmart. They are not the only ones sourcing from China, but they forced everyone else to do it or go out of business.

 

[Lloydthumper]

There is a couple of problems with the situation. One were human and americans on top of all that we want all we can get really more than our share. We demand top pay because we are americans and then spend it as fast as we make it. But not on what we make because we look at it as we can't afford our own products so you take a low payed factory worker her at $8 to $10 an hour and they are barely getting buy so You have the same chinese worker making $1.20 an hour and is doing great just because he has a job and can afford to live. The guy here making $8 to $10 is going to buy the cheapest thing he can to survive in our economy. I am not going to lie my pay works out to be almost $30 an hour but I will still buy things that are chinese made when I don't have the money for the american made products. I would rather buy american but when a tool box made here cost $5000 just because it says snap-on or Mac on it and one that looks just like maybe a little lower quality but still more than I need cost $800 of course I am going to buy the one for $800. Unless our economy totally collapses and we have to start over and humble our selves this will always be a problem. It didn't just start the Japanese did it to us after WWII. Just my opinon.

 

[RBX]

I agree that it is our own consumer fault for buying products from overseas where regulations are different....but, how much do you really expect the consumer to know? And by that i mean, does the average home owner know where ALL the supplies are coming from that the contractor is using or even think to ask? Probably not, even the most educated consumer won't catch everything.
With that said it is a responsibility of our government to instill regulations on goods entering this country. Yes we buy lots of Chinese ****, how much of our American **** do you think they buy? Better yet how much of our **** is available in their country for purchase....right....almost nothing. This is even prevalent in Japan. Japanese cars rule our roads here, but you can't buy an American car in Japan.
I don't want to start a political entanglement here, but it really burns me up that our capitalistic free market bullsh!t government does business with sub-par countries.
Do all of the American lift and hydraulic ram manufacturers buy American Hoses and fittings?
OK, rant over, i am new here glad to chime in.

RB

 

[Mr. Welsh]

Why would we import drywall from China while American gypsum fills up our landfills?

 

[Matti]

Why would we import drywall from China while American gypsum fills up our landfills?

I assume it was cheaper.

 

[RBX]

Why would we import drywall from China while American gypsum fills up our landfills?

probably because it costs more money to recycle, then produce new.

 

[Junkman]

Yesterday, I needed some chain to repair my snowblower. I went to 5 different industrial suppliers, and only two of them stocked the chain. The Chinese was $4.00 a foot, made in Thailand was $2.25 a foot, and no one had any US made chain, but could order it for $8.00 a foot, and not stocked. It is sold in 10 foot boxes only, and I need 20". It is a no brainer to buy the least expensive chain that I could get, since I need so little of it, but have to buy a large quantity. If I were to order the chain from Kubota, it is $64 with shipping. It is a much better chain, but I can make up 6 from the cheap chain box. I always prefer to buy American, but sometimes, either because of the huge price difference or availability, you are forced to buying the inferior product. If I could have bought the US chain in a 2' section, I wouldn't have hesitated, but there is no reason that I want to keep 8' on the shelf that I probably will never need again. This was #40 chain.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Why would we import drywall from China while American gypsum fills up our landfills?

From the article I posted yesterday: "Health officials suspect the Chinese drywall may have been used by many builders operating in Southwest Florida from 2004 to 2006, when a drywall shortage prompted some to look for alternative sources of the material."

 

[DynoDave]

One more thing to watch for. I'd never heard of this problem before. I see it's been around a while now.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090411/ap_on_bi_ge/chinese_drywall

 

[Snappy]

don't put the blame on any one but our selves , we are the ones buying all this chinese ****. take a stand America its time to support your neighbor down the street ,not the one across the sea. Make a stand ! buy American !

I'm not buying ANY Chiwanese **** as long as there's USA stuff on the shelf.

 

[nadogail]

Caveat Emptor is not a brand name, but we should always keep the phrase in mind when selecting goods or services; especially if we are making our selection based on price.

 

[sammerdog]

China? I've said it before, I'll say it again -

Never been to China, but I did go on the "Its A Small World" ride at Disney, so I'm pretty much an expert. They're still running around pulling rick-shaws and have funny bucked teeth. Plus they're only 2 feet tall and made out of wood. So even if there is a billion of them, they ain't real big. Heck, I don't think they'll even be able to see over the dash board of a tank. We'll be okay.

They don't scare me one bit.

There were a couple of them over at Epcot. Them ones were doing contortionist type stuff.... bending in half and climbing in and out of little cardboard tubes. They were a little taller though. And the women ones - they didn't have their feet bound. Not sure what that was all about.....

 

[alkemyst]

China? I've said it before, I'll say it again -

Never been to China, but I did go on the "Its A Small World" ride at Disney, so I'm pretty much an expert. They're still running around pulling rick-shaws and have funny bucked teeth. Plus they're only 2 feet tall and made out of wood. So even if there is a billion of them, they ain't real big. Heck, I don't think they'll even be able to see over the dash board of a tank. We'll be okay.

They don't scare me one bit.

There were a couple of them over at Epcot. Them ones were doing contortionist type stuff.... bending in half and climbing in and out of little cardboard tubes. They were a little taller though. And the women ones - they didn't have their feet bound. Not sure what that was all about.....

anyway....

Not all homebuilders are guilty of sourcing this **** intentionally...many are dealing with it because their sub used it.

It's a really fubar situation though because now you aren't just looking at pulling drywall...wiring and studs could be affected.

 

[billspit]

When you got to Lowes or HD and buy drywall, how are you going to know where it came from? I guess USG brand will not be imported, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

I went to Lowes a few years ago to buy a ceiling fan. All of the fans in the store are made in China. I didn't buy one for that very reason. But I will soon have to bite the bullet and buy one from somewhere. The problem with this country is we have stopped manufacturing almost everything here. Until US companies understand that nobody here will be able to buy anything if we have no jobs, things will change. I well remember the ads put out by the garment union that told you to look for the union label, if the garment was made in the US. Union or not the products were better. The last seveal pairs of blue jeans I've gotten as gifts have used a noticably lower quality of denim.