Marijuana Grow Operation Homes

In the 2000's Calgary had a large problem with illegal marijuana grow operations being set up in the basements and sometimes throughout the house in residential homes and townhouses.  These grow houses or grow ops as they so cleverly have been named can have severe building and health hazards associated with them.  The building hazards range from electrical, plumbing, heating, roofing, attic and even structure.  With regards to electrical open splice circuits have been ran through the house.  The main service to the house has been spliced into before the meter or into a neighbors house.  Main water lines are tapped before the meter to get free water.  The heating system is toyed with by the disconnection of the exhaust pipes to vent the combustion by products into the growing portion of the house to allow the plants to grow better.  The disconnection of flues in attics can have disastrous effects on a house.  When buying one of these houses these are all things that have to be taken into consideration. 

Besides the building hazards that lurk in these houses many health hazards can linger with no evidence of them being there.  With the introduction of the enormous amount of water that accumulates in the production of the marijuana the moisture and water vapor transfer through the house.  This moisture can saturate drywall and other wood products.  Drywall is a great absorber of water thus it collects the moisture and will eventually grow mold.  Mold can be a dangerous substance in houses.  It can cause health problems and make for a very unfcomfortable house.

Set up pots after a busted Grow Operation

Large core holes in the foundation for tapping illegal electrical

Furnace exhaust disconnected to add CO and CO2 into the basment

What to Obtain When Buying an Old Grow House?

Through our ten years in Calgary AmeriSpec of Calgary NE has been in at least 100 of these homes.  We have come upon them during routine home inspections and we have done inspections for the RCMP after they have busted these houses.  When buying one of these house there are certain documents that you will want to obtain to ensure the house is in livable condition.  For the remediation work there should be receipts and inspections.  The city deems a house ready for occupation through testing.  The permits and inspections on the house pertain to the certain different portions of the house that have been damaged whether it was in need of electrical or plumbing work.  There should have been air sampling or some type of indoor air quality assessment done on the house to ensure the air in the house is breathable.  Remember doing research on these houses is the majority of what needs to be done to ensure the house you are buying is habitable.  Our home inspectors have the knowledge to help you if you decide that these houses are the ones you want to buy.