Chinese made drywall blamed for numerous problems in conventionally built homes. Too bad they didn't try MgO instead

The October 7, 2009  New York Times has a story on homeowners including the lieutenant governor of Florida suing over problems they say were caused by Chinese made drywall.

The drywall is said to have abnormally high concentrations of sulfur.

Members of San Antonio Sustainable Living were told last year by George Swanson that while the USA had large deposits of gypsum, China did not. He said that instead the Chinese had developed wall board made with Magnesium Oxide (MgO). This MgO board uses relatively little energy to produce and absorbs CO2.

Ironically, rather than risk purchasing MgO board from China, many US builders went for familiar gypsum drywall from unfamiliar manufacturers in a country without a long history in its manufacturer and without the abundant gypsum supplies that made it a mainstay of US conventional building.

Now homeowners, builders and insurance companies are faced with a long and difficult process of resolving the difficulties caused by builders innovating as to the source of their building materials without innovating by purchasing the superior product (MgO) which the Chinese have developed.