Critical Signs of a Meth Lab in Your Home
Could your new home be hiding a dangerous past? Methamphetamine labs are more common than you think, and their residue may require professional meth house testing to ensure your safety and that of your family. Here’s how to identify a former meth house and what to do if you suspect contamination.
Have you recently bought a home and are now worried that your new dream house once served as an underground crystal methamphetamine lab? You have a reason for concern. While authorities discovered over 84,000 crystal meth labs since 2004, estimates have that at a mere 5% of the total.
The signs of a meth lab can be subtle and often go unnoticed by untrained eyes – even during a professional home inspection. Knowing whether your house was a former meth house is vital for your safety and the well-being of your family. Here are the top warning signs to look out for.
What Is Meth and How Is It Made?
To understand the warning signs of a former crystal meth lab, you first need to know crystal meth production and why it’s so easy to produce in a house. Crystal Methamphetamine, or meth, is a derivative of amphetamine. Amphetamine gained popularity as a nasal decongestant. It is a high-octane stimulant classified as a Schedule II substance by the United States Government.
Over-the-counter cold medicines that contain ephedrine or pseudoephedrine serve as the base for this drug. These drugs are then combined and cooked with chemicals like acetone, freon, and phosphorous that cause a chemical crystallization to occur.
The ephedrine or pseudoephedrine combines with phosphorous or lithium. The next step is the addition of water. After the water comes a solvent like gasoline or acetone to extract the methamphetamine. The last step involves heat to form crystals. These chemicals found in nail polish remover, brake fluid, anti-freeze, and matches are all hazardous to humans and contribute to methamphetamine contamination in homes.
Warning: Meth production is extremely unstable. A wrong combination of these chemicals can lead to explosions, fires, or long-lasting contamination.
Was Your House a Meth Lab? You Need to Know
Knowing if your home was a meth production facility is important for several reasons. The chemicals used in meth production are hazardous, and their residue lingers in walls and on home surfaces. The pernicious effects of the drug are felt by those living in the midst of its production. Hair samples taken from people who live in a former meth lab tested positive for methamphetamine.
Meth lab contamination leads to a series of illnesses and other health effects in adults and children. Living in a former meth lab can lead to the development of asthma, sleep irregularities, hyperactivity, and ADHD. Not only that, but former drug labs carry other safety issues.
These houses of methamphetamine production are associated with other crimes. If you live in a former drug production hotspot, these unsafe aspects may still exist around you. If you suspect your new home was a meth lab, an investment in a meth lab testing kit is one of the best ways to find out. For more comprehensive results, hiring methamphetamine cleanup services ensures the property is thoroughly tested and decontaminated. These home kits test surfaces in your house for harmful meth production chemicals.
Top Signs of a Meth House
When you shop for a new home, you make sure to check things like the foundation. You look for signs of mold and water damage. You check the property to make sure all possible sliding hillsides are secure with retaining walls. You test for radon. Given the proliferation of methamphetamine in America, you should inspect your new home for signs of meth production. Here’s what to look for.
Worried About Meth Contamination? Spaulding Decon Offers Certified Testing and Cleanup Services.
On-site Chemicals
When you walked through the basement, did you notice a more than normal amount of paint cans? People do paint their homes and keep the leftovers. Or did you find it odd there were so many jugs of anti-freeze? Or matches?
Keep an eye out for an excessive amount of these chemicals. It is challenging because many of the items used in meth production are common household items. Be suspicious of an abundance.
Paraphernalia
If you’re familiar with the television series Breaking Bad, you know that crystal meth production is a form of chemistry. A former meth lab can look like an abandoned high school science class with an abundance of burnt glass beakers and tubes. Keep an eye out for items like abandoned propane grill tanks with blue corrosion around the nozzle or coffee filters with weird green stains. Another tell-tale sign of a meth lab is an abundance of burnt aluminum foil.
Wall Stains
Meth production creates iodine byproducts. These yellow or red stains on the walls could be a sign of its presence. If this harmful byproduct is present in your home, all drywall must be removed to ensure the safety of current occupants. The presence of iodine byproducts can cause serious health ramifications, emphasizing the health risks of meth labs for unsuspecting homeowners.
Did You Know? Meth residue can linger in walls and carpets for years, posing serious health risks to unsuspecting homeowners.
Strong, Unidentified Odor
When you walk through your prospective new home, do you notice an odd odor? Not rank like a sewage line leak or musty like a damp basement, but something else unpleasant? Meth production emits a strong odor from the chemicals used.
This scent lives in the walls and lingers long after production ceased. A strong odor accompanied by stained drains is a big indicator of a former meth lab.
Check the DEA Database
The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) keeps a registry of all houses that were identified as clandestine drug labs. This list is available to the public and is a great resource to check. With this list, you can also see if any homes in your new neighborhood were once drug labs.
What to Do If Your Home Was a Meth Lab
If you suspect your home was once a meth lab, follow these steps to ensure your safety:
Test Your Home:
Use a meth lab testing kit or hire certified professionals for meth lab residue testing to determine contamination levels.Hire Professionals for Cleanup:
Meth contamination cleanup is not a DIY task and requires specialized meth cleanup services to ensure safety. Certified biohazard remediation experts can safely decontaminate your property and ensure compliance with health and safety standards.Replace Porous Materials:
Carpets, drywall, and other porous surfaces often retain contamination and must be replaced to eliminate risks.Post-Cleanup Testing:
Confirm the property is safe to occupy through post-remediation testing.
Health Risks of Meth Lab Contamination
Residue from meth production is invisible but highly toxic. It can cause:
- Respiratory problems.
- Skin irritation.
- Neurological issues like headaches and memory problems.
- Increased risk of chronic conditions, especially for children.
Did You Know? Meth residues can linger for years if not professionally removed, posing long-term health risks to unsuspecting occupants.
Learn the Signs of a Meth Lab
If you’re in the market for a new home, you need to know the signs of a meth lab. Buying a home that housed a meth operation means exposing yourself and your family to harmful chemicals.
Look for signs like excessive amounts of household chemicals, odd-colored stains, and strong odors you can’t identify. If you suspect your house is a former meth house, make sure you consult a professional for a test and clean-up.
Concerned your house might have been a meth lab? Contact Spaulding Decon today for professional meth lab cleanup services.
More Meth Clean-Up Related Resources:
- How to Clean a Meth House: Step by Step Guide
- Health Dangers of Living in a Former Meth Lab
- How Much Does It Cost to Clean a Meth House
- Mention the Methods of Decontamination
- Meth Lab Remediation and Testing Guide
- Meth Contamination: Why Are Meth Labs so Difficult to Repair?
- Meth Lab Cleanup No Longer a Trademark
