When your own home is affected
Homeowners find out about drug contamination in different ways. A buyer's inspection may turn up residue. A home you bought may have had an undisclosed history. A family member may have used drugs in the house, or a property you inherited may have hosted activity you didn't know about. Each situation is stressful, and the questions are the same: Is it safe? What has to be done? What will it take?
Start with facts
Testing is the starting point. Residue isn't visible, odor is unreliable, and over- or under-reacting both cost money. Wipe sampling, analyzed by an accredited laboratory, shows whether residue is present, where, and at what levels compared with your state's standard or EPA's guidelines.
What decontamination involves
Depending on results:
- Contents. Soft furnishings, mattresses, curtains and carpets in affected areas are usually removed. Hard items can often be cleaned.
- Surfaces. Walls, ceilings, cabinets, counters, floors and fixtures are washed and rinsed, often in more than one pass.
- HVAC. Ducts, registers, air handlers and filters are cleaned or replaced, because they carry residue between rooms.
- Appliances. Some appliances can be cleaned. Others, especially those exposed during manufacturing activity, may need replacement.
- Encapsulation of cleaned surfaces, where appropriate, before repainting.
- Clearance sampling to document the result.
Your family during the work
The home is normally vacated during remediation. We'll give you a realistic timeline so you can plan where to stay, and we coordinate the work to keep that period as short as practical.
Regulated situations
If a state agency or law enforcement has posted, quarantined or listed your property, a defined legal process applies. That is common in Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas and West Virginia. See our quarantined property release page.
Selling afterward
Documentation of testing and remediation is valuable at sale. Disclosure obligations for past drug activity vary by state, so ask a real estate attorney what applies to you.
Common questions
Will my homeowners insurance cover it?
It varies. Many policies exclude contamination or damage caused by illegal activity. Some situations, such as damage caused by a tenant or vandal, may be treated differently. We'll provide documentation for your claim.
Can I clean it myself?
For low-level use residue in a state without mandatory rules, some owners attempt it, but results are often uneven and undocumented. Regulated properties must follow the state process.