Is your home contaminated with meth residue
News4JAX investigates tonight . The horrifying reality for thousands of people who unwittingly buy homes or rent apartments contaminated with toxic meth residue. It can lead to illness, thousands of dollars in cleanup costs . and a house you may be forced to abandon. Mary Baer is digging deeper and explains why it s so important to uncover a home s history before moving in. 3patagonia adze guide 0 5 115 120 SATURATES CARPETS, WAYS, DUCT WORK AND THEY HAVE TO THROW AWAY EVERYTHING BEFORE CLEANING EVERYTHING AND EXPOSURE OF SMALL ANTICIPATES OF THE POISON CAN ACCUSE SERIOUS HEALTH ISSUES, ESPECIALLY IN SMALL CHILDREN. IF YOU THINK MOLD IS BAD, METH IS WORSE. MOLD IS PRETTY BAD AND ASBESTOS, YES, BUT METH IS WORSE. THIS REPRESENTS A FRA插patagonia vest review入7CTION OF HOMES WHERE METH IS MADE OR USED. THEY RE TRYING TO BUST THEM ALL, BUT NOT SERVE BUSTED. SORT OF LIKE THIS HOUSE, IT WASN T BUSTED. METH LABS CAN BE ANYWHERE. NEWS 4 JAX CRIME AND SAFETY EXPERT GIL SMITH SAYS IT DOESN T MATTER WHAT PART OF TOWN, NO ONE CAN ASSUME IT S FREE FROM METH USERS OR MAKERS. THEY HAVE ACTUALLY CAUGHT PEOPLE COOKING METH IN URBAN SETTINGS AND LOWER INCOME HOMES AND A WIDE VARIETY OF PLACE WHERE IS THE METH LAB OCCURRED. WHAT CAN YOU DO TO PROTECT YOURSELF, SO FIRST, ASK THE RIGHpatagonia store venturaT QUESTION OF THE REAL ESTATE AGENT BEFORE YOU BUY. WHILE THERE IS NO FLORIDA OR GEORGIA LAW REQUIRING A SELLER TO TELL YOU THERE WAS FORMER METH USE, THEY TO DISCLOSE ALL KNOWN FACTS THAT MATERIAL TASK VALUE OF THE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY AND NOT READILY OBSERVABLE, AND METH CONTAMINATION COB JUST THAT AND GET OUT INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE YOU RE LOOKING TO BUY AND RENT AND START ASKING QUESTIONS. KNOCK ON DOORS AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF AS LOOKING AT THE HOUSE DOWN THE STREET AND FIND OUT WHAT YOU CAN. CHANNEL 4, IF Lpatagonia men's full zip better sweater jacket0OCAL STATION. NOW, IF YOU SUSPECT METH RESIDUE IN YOUR HOME, YOU CAN CALL IN A PROFESSIONAL FOR TESTING. SOME COMPANIES ALSO PROMOTE A DO IT YOURSELF TEST KIT. WE FOUND THIS ONE ONLINE FOR ABOUT 25 BUCKS.
I feel like I put them in harm s way more so than I ever could have just spatagonia men's full zip better sweater jacket1taying where we were. I regret moving so bad, saidpatagonia better sweater coat brown homeowner Jennifer Nugent.
She and her husband spent thousands of dollars remodeling their home before moving in with their three children last year. A few months later, they were constantly sick: coughing, diarrhea and vomiting. But they they coupatagonia r1 pullover reviewldn t figure out why they were so ill.
It just got to a point where we couldn t stay well, Nugent added.
Her concern turned to panic when her new neighbors shared some disturbing news. The home s former ownewomen better sweater jacket patagoniar was a methamphetamine user. Nugent immediately had her home tested and results confirmed high patagonia men's full zip better sweater jacketlevels of contamination.
That s when we knew it was bad, and I was so grateful we did not return, she said.
When making or smoking meth, nothing escapes contamination. A string of toxic chemicals saturates carpets, walls, duct work, ceilings and furniture, forcing cleanup crews to throw away just about everything before thoroughly cleaning all surfaces. Exposure to even small amounts of those poisons can cause serious health issues, especially in small children.
If you just think mold s bad, meth is worse. And I mean mold s pretty bad, and asbestos, yeah sure, but meth is up there, warned certified meth inspector Rickpatagonia better sweater wax red Held. (See map of labs across the country from January 2014 to July 2014.)
The police, they re trying to bust them all, but not everybody s busted. Sort of like this house. It wasn t busted. It s not on a list, added Held.
News4Jax crime and safetyanalyst Gil Smith said it doesn t matter what part of town, no one can assume it s free of meth users or meth makers.
Meth labs can be anywhere, said Smith. They have actually caught people cooking meth in urban settings, and upper income homes, lower income homes, sort of a wide variety of places where meth labs have occurred.
Experts said to protect yourself, ask questions of the real estate agent before you buy. While there is no law in Florida or Georgiapatagonia men's full zip better sweater jacket3 requiring a seller to tell you a home had previous meth contamination, the State of Florida does require disclosing of all known facts that materially affect the value of residential real estate property and are not readily observable. Meth contamination could be considered just that.
Another way to get information is to get out into the neighborhood where you are looking to buy or rent and start asking questions.
Knock on doors. Introduce yourself as looking at the house down the street and find out what you can. You ll be amazed at the information they may be able to provide you, advised Angie Hick, founder of Angie s List.
The Nugents moved out and are now working with a certified company that specializes in meth lab testing and cleanup.
If you suspectmeth residue in your home, you can call in a professional for testing. Some companies also promote a do it yourself test kit. We found one online for about $25. If you do have contamination, the cleanup can be expensive. Experts say decontamination jobs can cost up to $10,000.
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