Chinese Drywall Found Inside Gulf Shores Home

A Gulf Shores homeowner has hired an attorney to sue a manufacturer she says installed toxic "Chinese drywall" inside her dream-home.

Pampel is suing Knauf Plasterboard Co. Ltd. The attorney representing Pampel says hundreds of homeowners have come to him reporting the same problems.

Nancy Pampel built the house shortly after Hurricane Ivan made landfall and says she immediately starting noticing problems. Pampel says since then, she's had to replace her A/C unit five times and tells News 5 other appliances have been damaged or have failed.

Pampel also says she had to move out because the toxic chemicals found in the wallboard made her sick.

Chinese drywall was imported to the U-S during the housing booms after Hurricanes Ivan and Katrina. Countless manufacturers installed the defective wallboard in homes across the Southeast, particularly in Louisiana, Alabama and Florida.

The chemicals found in Chinese drywall can corrode metal inside homes include copper coils and wiring and can destroy appliances and electronics. The toxic wallboard can also cause serious health issues like respiratory problems, nose-bleeds, fatigue and headaches.

On Friday, inspectors with Knauf visited Pampel's Gulf Shores home and found Chinese drywall. The company has, to some extent, admitted fault and has agreed to inspect hundreds of homes and possibly pay for repairs involved in removing the toxic drywall.

According to Chinese Drywall Complaint Center, more than 200-thousand homes across the Southeast have contaminated Chinese drywall.