How bad can "Grow-Ops" be?

In case you are not aware of what a "Grow-Op" is it is a home that has been used as a growing operation house usually for Marijuana.

I hear a lot about houses and condos being used as growing operations and then being put up for sale. How bad can that really be if all the plants and lights are taken out first?

These properties have been used illegally to grow marijuana and, for long periods of time, the heat and the resultant humidity within an enclosed and unventilated space has most likely allowed an excessive amount of mold growth. If it was confined to bathrooms, as we sometimes see on ceramic wall tiles, it probably wouldn’t be much of a problem. But it can get much worse and spread throughout the property. Walls, floors and ceilings are affected, along with furniture, horizontal surfaces, and worst of all, the cavities behind the walls where no one can see.

It can become very difficult to eradicate and, of course, the mold can be a serious health hazard. A common remedy is to strip the house of its internal walls right back to the studs and spray a chemical mold and fungus killer. To maintain a mold free property, remove the source of the excess humidity and then supply a flow of fresh air.

As you can see, the ramifications of using any property for grow-ops can be enormous.