Drywall defects could affect 100,000 homes

Shipping records show tainted drywall shipments to the United States could total 500 million pounds of building material and affect houses nationwide. U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, a Florida Democrat whose district is a center of drywall-related problems, has called for a temporary ban on Chinese drywall until its ingredients have been analyzed. Heat and humidity make the panels give off a noxious smell and could be linked to corrosion and damage to metals and wiring in recently built houses. Some health complaints have been linked to the drywall. Homebuilder Lennar has begun to renovate some affected South Florida homes.