Tips to spotting a meth-contaminated home

SALT LAKE CITY — There is perhaps no greater fear in potential home buyers than meth contamination. As a home inspector, I have been told by many would-be homeowners that they would never buy a meth-contaminated home. These same individuals are unaware that they have likely been in many contaminated homes while searching for a new home.

The basics

The definition of "contamination" varies from one state to another, and from one date to another. Utah's current threshold for meth contamination is 1.0 microgram per 100 square centimeters (See www.health.utah.gov/meth/html/Decontamination/index.html.) This is the equivalent of a grain of salt spread over an area roughly the size of the palm of your hand. If the contamination from any sample in the house is greater than that, the State of Utah considers the entire home to be legally contaminated. If the measured value is less, according to state law the home is acceptable.

If you are considering a home purchase, there are professionals who know exactly where and how to test. It is clear however that no one is able to test every home before entry, so the key question is "How can I spot a potentially meth-contaminated home?"

It is important to state that the official answer is: You can't. A test must be conducted. That said, my experience as a home inspector and Utah state-certified meth-decontamination specialist may help shed light on the subject. There are common characteristics found in many meth-contaminated homes. These are signs of anger, signs of neglect and signs of income stress. We will start with the last one first.

Income stress

The homes that are most likely to test positive for contamination are small homes and apartments. Most of the time, these are foreclosures or short sales. I know an individual who used to be very much into the meth scene (who I will keep anonymous) and his explanation for that is simple: A user's money goes to the drug first. Keeping your home or apartment is a second priority, and often there is not enough money for both.

Neglect

It is common to walk into home that I know to be contaminated and find heavy staining. The stains can be on the carpets, walls or ceilings. I often see scrawls on the walls and cabinets, and signs of shabby living everywhere. A certain amount of this is intuitive: The user is high. A person who is high is less likely to take care of the children and much more likely to spill whatever they may have. In most of the meth-contaminated homes I have seen, cleaning is not a priority.