Water Damage: Primary and Secondary

8/17/2016 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Tip: Mitigate Water Damage in Teaneck by Quickly Removing the Water

SERVPRO Restores Water Damaged Properties and Mitigates Losses

When your home or office experiences water flowing into areas where it is not designed for water, water damage can result. There are two different kinds of water damage, primary and secondary. Water damage can still occur months after water has even cleaned up by homeowners or tenants, and this is why expert water removal services should be used.

When resulting from water damage, Teaneck properties that have had major spills indoors should be cleaned up as soon as possible. Significant leaks need professional cleaning and extraction. Water flows downhill, but as it flows, it can also run into barriers or other items that divert the flow of water from what may be what seems to be a logical course, and then continue to flow downhill in other areas. Water does seek its level. Because of this, SERVPRO uses equipment that can detect elevated moisture and humidity levels behind and inside your walls, and find to where all of the water that can damage your home has spread.

Expertise and training give SERVPRO technicians an edge over others and helps us find all that hidden water. Then we can begin to dry in precisely those areas that have become damp, and prevent water damage from happening or continuing. When there are areas that are wet, this is primary damage. It will affect carpets, wallpapers, and even drywall. Left as it is or without professional extraction and drying, secondary water damage can begin to happen.

This type of water damage might not be observable right away and is often not discovered for months after a leak or busted water pipe. This is where drywall is beyond just a bubbled appearance but is actually disintegrating, hardwood floors begin to warp or cup, cracking lengthwise from the pressure of expanding in their confined spaces, and mold growth and its distinctive smell has become noticeable.

Secondary water damage can largely be restored and repaired, with a few items needing replaced, especially in the presence of mold, but this secondary water damage is also highly preventable. This is why it is so important to have professional technicians eliminate the water damage in the first place. When it is completely removed, secondary damage cannot begin.

While it may seem costly to do, having SERVPRO eliminate the primary water damage while they extract all the water and dry out your home is a sound investment. Secondary water damage is extremely expensive to restore and repair, with much of your home's affected interior possibly requiring replacements, instead. We can document any damaged items that are beyond repair so that you can present this paperwork to your insurance carrier, helping you even more in recovering from water damage.

When you have water damage, make it a priority to call us. SERVPRO of Teaneck / Englewood at (201) 266-0482, as we can help you reduce the damaging effects of water damage and mitigate the chance that secondary water damage can happen.