Investing In or Owning Drug Lab Properties

 by: John Michael

As a property owner, you are responsible for 100 percent of the clean up! Cleanups of labs are extremely resource-intensive and costly. The average cost of a cleanup is about $5,000. This is if you are lucky!

Clean Up (includes the insides and the outside of a building)

Air out the building

Removal of contaminated materials:

Carpets, carpet pads, Linoleum, drapes and blinds, air-filters, refrigerators, range, water heater, all tenant clothing and their furniture.

Removal needs to be to a site that accepts contaminated product.

All people that remove these items need to be specially trained and certified.

Surfaces: Extensive cleaning and replacement if the cooking occurred on those surfaces. After extensive wash down with bleach and other cleaners, seal walls and floors to seal in any contamination.

Ventilation systems: Furnaces and heaters will either need to be replaced or cleaned throughout all ductwork.

Plumbing: You might need to replace sinks, toilets and other accessible plumbing due to methamphetamine odors since meth residual was most likely deposited down the drains.

Repainting: Make sure the walls, ceilings and closets are cleaned, sealed and then painted.

Windows: Make sure they have been cleaned as well as the tracks. If the unit was especially heavily used, replace all of the windows. Doors in and outside need to be painted and door hardware needs to be washed down.

Exterior: Does the yard need to be cleaned up? Is there methamphetamine debris in the yard?

Most states required a certified industrial hygienist to approve of the clean up, and most states require a certificate of occupancy permit

Contact your state department of health for more information on this.

http://www.portlandtribune.com/archview.cgi?id=23990

http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n214/a08.html

To your success,

John Michael

Copyright 2005 JMichael Investments

You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated - send to John@jmichaelrei.com