How do I know that my home is “clean” from previous meth use?
The previous owners of my home had a meth lab according many of our neighbors. My understanding is the bulk of it was done in a shed. I am unclear if this is our current shed that is attached to the house or a shed that may have been in our backyard at one time. I am also unclear how much meth was done inside the home. I do know the walls & cabinets have not been redone and the air vents have not been cleaned. I believe the carpet was new. Is there something I can do to be reassured that everything was taken care of? I have 4 small children and I would love one less thing to worry about.
My first suggestion would be to read the disclosure form that you signed when you bought your home. My first questions to you would be “what year did you buy the house, what state is the house in, and did you buy it as a foreclosure”? Depending on the state you’re in and the year that you bought your home, you may or may not be covered under your state’s meth laws.
If your state had a disclosure law in place at the time you bought your home and you weren’t told by the seller about the meth lab, contact a lawyer.
If you bought your home as a foreclosure from a bank, they may not have listed any information about a meth lab on your disclosure form. Many states now require private sellers to disclose any history of a meth lab at a property, but those same states don’t require banks to disclose that information when it involves a foreclosure.
For about $40 you can buy a meth contamination testing kit online, which will give you a general idea about whether you’re dealing with a meth contamination problem. My son had a professionally licensed decontamination company test his home, but the cost came at a significantly higher price of $1,600. The professional testing by licensed cleanup contractors is done before the home is decontaminated as well as after its been cleaned to see if it has been cleaned according to government standards which I believe is .1 parts per million. My son had both pre and post testing done for $3,200. Cleanup costs were an additional $13,000 or so.
If meth was produced in the shed, there is a good chance that the meth cooks dumped the chemicals that remained after they cooked the meth in to the ground. They may or may not have dumped them in your yard. Do you have well water or city/town water? If it’s well water, you may want to send a sample of your water to a testing lab for analysis. The dirt in your yard may also be contaminated. When the lab is in the house, chemicals used in the process of making meth are often dumped down the drain or in the toilet. Other times, meth cooks dump them outside.
Did you find any orange or rusty colored stains in any sinks or tub in your home? Plumbing fixtures get stained by the chemical residues that meth cooks pour down sink drains and in the toilet. Meth cooking chemicals also stain flooring and carpeting, because during the process of cooking the meth some of the liquids get spilled.
The carpets that were replaced in your home may have been done to ward off any questions about any stains that may have been on the old carpeting. On the other hand, it’s not unusual for home sellers to replace old or worn carpeting to make the home more attractive to buyers.