Having lived through and written about the Great Mold Crisis and other scares, I'm watching with interest the development of another potentially hazardous-to-your-health building issue: Chinese drywall.
You've probably already seen the reports: Material shortages after Hurricane Katrina caused U.S. builders to start using drywall imported from China, which allegedly emits sulphurous vapors that corrode metal and could adversely affect health. In common use since 2008, it's estimated that enough of the drywall has been used to construct 60,000 houses of 3,000 square feet each.
At this point, the issue is still just a blip on the radar, with little or no insurer reaction in the form of policy changes or exclusions. Most insurers seem to be taking a wait-and-see attitude to determine the exact trigger of the problem (some say moisture activates the nasty fumes) and whether the threat is real or exaggerated.
Recommended For You
Want to continue reading?
Become a Free PropertyCasualty360 Digital Reader
Your access to unlimited PropertyCasualty360 content isn’t changing.
Once you are an ALM digital member, you’ll receive:
- Breaking insurance news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
- Weekly Insurance Speak podcast featuring exclusive interviews with industry leaders
- Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
- Critical converage of the employee benefits and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, BenefitsPRO and ThinkAdvisor
Already have an account? Sign In Now
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
