Saints’ Coach can run from Chinese Drywall, can you?

July 6th, 2009. By AbiK

Ok, now we’re getting to some of the harsh realities about the toxic Chinese drywall situation. The AP reported back on June 18th that New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton’s home is one of the many affected by defective drywall—and in the meantime, he’s moved out. He’s apparently renting someplace. But see, that takes money, right? And I bet no one’s telling the Payton’s they can just let their mortgage payments (assuming they have them) lapse while they fork over money to rent someplace else. But can the thousands of other homeowners whose lives have been affected by defective Chinese drywall do that? Pretty doubtful.

And Payton clearly understand this: the AP article states Payton “says he feels sorry for residents in Louisiana who have the same problem but can’t afford to make such a move.”

Chances are, given what is now reported on US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)website regarding the potential health effects of the defective drywall, anyone who has any of these symptoms would most likely want to leave home:

The most frequently reported symptoms are irritated and itchy eyes and skin, difficulty in breathing, persistent cough, bloody noses, runny noses, recurrent headaches, sinus infection, and asthma attacks. Since many consumers report that their symptoms lessen or go away when they are away from their home, but return upon re-entry, it appears that these symptoms are short-term and related to something within the home.

We are aggressively investigating if scientific evidence exists linking chemical emissions from the drywall to the reported health complaints. At this time, however, any such relationship or long-term health effects are unknown.

But then see what the CPSC goes on to recommend relative to any of these health issues:

The most important issue is your health and safety. If you are suffering from the health symptoms described as common to the reports of exposure to problem drywall, please consult your physician as soon as possible. If you experience any of the electrical or fire safety concerns described as common to the reports of exposure to problem drywall, please consult your local gas or electric supplier and a licensed electrician or building inspector as soon as possible.

Note, they do not say: Leave your house now folks.

Honestly, if you or your children are experiencing any of the above symptoms—and gee, it seems to coincide with only when you’re in your house—would you want to stay put? But where do you go and who’s paying for it? Sounds like another instance of pity the “poor” people. Thankfully, there is some recourse—and homeowners can reach out for a free consultation with a lawyer about their Chinese drywall situation. By the way, according to that AP article, Payton is suing the drywall manufacturer, the supplier and the home builder…

Tags: chinese drywall, defective drywall

This was posted on Monday, July 6th, 2009 at 11:52 am and is filed under Defective Products . Feel free to respond, or trackback. Read our comments policy.