What Is Secondary Damage?

4/27/2021 (Permalink)

Moisture can lead to black mold growth.

Soggy drywall, wet carpets, warped flooring and waterlogged furniture are all examples of the type of damage you expect to encounter in a flooded home. However, damage caused directly by contact with water isn't the only kind of damage that can occur. Flooding may also cause black mold and other issues known as secondary damage.

Facts Abount Secondary Damage

Secondary Damage Defined

Damage that results because the flood occurred, but that wasn't directly caused by the water itself is secondary damage. There are multiple examples of this type of damage:

• Mold growth
  
• Damage from high humidity
  
• Rot
  

Causes of Damage

The main cause of this type of damage is evaporation. The longer flood water remains in a home, the more of it evaporates into the air, which can cause the air to become saturated. This can lead to condensation, which causes more water damage to your property. Additionally, areas with high moisture are ideal breeding grounds for black mold and other types of fungus. Finally, when the air in your home is saturated it causes your property to stay wet for longer, which promotes rot and other decay.

Damage Mitigation

Your chief defense against this type of damage is to dry out your home as quickly as possible. Contact a professional water remediation company in Roanoke Rapids, NC, as soon as possible to get the process started. It is important to quickly dry out the structures of your home and the contents. The moisture in porous materials will continue to cause evaporation, so you may want to move saturated furniture, carpets, drywall and other items out of your home during the drying process.

The high levels of moisture in your home after a flood can lead to black mold growth and a host of other problems that can further damage your home. Taking steps to quickly dry out your property will help you reduce the amount of damage.