Understanding Secondary Water Damage

9/7/2021 (Permalink)

The best prevention of secondary water damage in your commercial property is responding quickly when you notice there is a problem.

When you have a leaky pipe in your building in Forsyth, GA, it is in your best interest to get it fixed as soon as possible. Not only does it save you money on your utility bill, it also helps you prevent secondary water damage. Secondary damage can manifest as aesthetic problems, structural issues or black mold. It can increase the cost of your insurance claim and, as it is mostly preventable, may not even be covered by your commercial property policy.

Causes of Residual Damage

Secondary damage includes issues that are indirect consequences of a water problem. There are many reasons why this residual damage may occur:

• Lack of timely reporting to water mitigation experts
• Hidden issue undiscovered until the damage had already happened
• Improper or incomplete repair procedures
• Failure to reduce the high humidity in the building
• Problem more extensive than technicians could handle in a timely manner

Any of these situations can result in secondary water damage. Until the problem is remedied, more damage can continue to pile on.

Types of Secondary Damage

Problems such as black mold most often occur because the excess water has no place to go. It starts to evaporate the longer it sits, significantly increasing the moisture in the air and on surfaces. This is the perfect setup for mold growth. The high humidity can also affect sheetrock, drywall, and plaster, causing them to become waterlogged and sag. Flooring is affected, too, as the water loosens tiles, dissolves the adhesive that holds vinyl to the floor, and makes hardwood floors swell and buckle. The longer the area remains humid, the worse the damage is likely to get.

The best prevention of secondary water damage in your commercial property is responding quickly when you notice there is a problem. Even if you don't think the problem is that big of a deal, contact mitigation experts to cover your bases. It's better to hear that you don't need their services than to find out later that you should have called.