Knauf Drywall

Drywall manufacturer Knauf has been widely linked to the Chinese drywall problem. The fact that Knauf has been linked as a manufacturer, however, does not exclude other companies. It is not clear what companies, aside from Knauf, are involved.

Knauf has become nearly synonymous with Chinese drywall. It should be noted that some Knauf drywall is not problematic. More importantly, it should be noted that many other companies are implicated in the defective drywall issue.

Knauf is a company based in Germany that manufactures drywall in China. During the construction boom in the United States, Knauf drywall was imported and installed in homes between 2001 and 2008. In addition, many homes were remodeled with this defective drywall. As a result, the entire home has been tainted by the off gassing created by Chinese drywall.

Knauf drywall recently agreed to consolidate all federal lawsuits related to defective drywall into a single class action law suit. Until that point, significant barriers blocked the ability of individual claimants to pursue damages from the company. It is unclear how this will proceed, but the case is being heard in Louisiana. The deadline for joining the class action lawsuit has passed and most experts agree that it will be quite some time until any sort of settlement is rendered to the affected individuals.

Some reports indicate that Knauf does not have insurance to cover the liability associated with these damages.

There are multiple problems with Knauf drywall. Often times, the issues resulting from Chinese drywall are severe.

What are the problems with Knauf drywall?

Also known as Chinese drywall or toxic drywall, Knauf drywall is just one of a group of manufacturers who have produced drywall that is emitting gases. These gases are causing numerous issues. Although no official relationship between Chinese drywall and health issues has been established, reports of health issues are widespread. Adverse health issues include chronic nose bleeds, coughing, severe headaches, and skin and eye irritation.

The government has, however, confirmed the relationship between Knauf drywall and the substantial corrosion that is found within a home with defective drywall. Knauf drywall emits a sulfur gas compound. This compound then combines latent airborne humidity to create a highly corrosive environment inside the affected building. The result is a situation in which anything metal is at risk. Reports consistently indicate that Chinese drywall causes the failure of various electronics. Many home owners report that their TV's fail within a year. In addition to TV's, appliances, computers, and air conditionings are significantly affected. In areas known for hot summers, air conditioning units have been failing several times per year.

Knauf drywall problems are not covered by the typical insurance carried by home owners. Insurance companies that issue home owner's policies have relied on a couple of specific clauses in their policies to reject coverage of toxic drywall issues. First, gradual decay and corrosion is not be covered as it is classified as typical wear and tear, which is not covered by home owner's insurance. In addition, insurance companies also rely on clauses that exclude any damage that results from building material defects. The string of liability associated with Knauf drywall is complicated.

Another important implication of Chinese drywall has to do with electrical fires. Because of the corrosive environment, copper wiring in homes that are affected by toxic drywall may be leading to an increased risk of house fire. Copper is commonly used as electrical wiring. Increased levels of corrosion on copper wiring leads to higher levels of resistance to electricity. This resistance to current causes the wiring to create higher heat. The result is one of the most significant problems related to Knauf drywall and property damage. The increased risk of electrical fire is cited by insurance companies as they drop or issue non-renewal notices on homes suspected to contain Chinese drywall.

How can I know if my home has Knauf drywall?

The most important part of the answer to this commonly asked question is that Knauf is far from the only manufacturer of defective drywall. The drywall problem extends much further. Confirming the existence of Knauf drywall does not confirm that the drywall is defective nor does confirming the absence of this brand confirm that the drywall is not defective. Simple visual inspections for the Knauf branding is not sufficient. Only a test with guaranteed and insurable results is adequate.