Secondary Water Damage

1/24/2020 (Permalink)

Coming home from a vacation and you realize the basement has 3 inches of standing water. What do you do? First, you need to assess the situation. If a pipe bursts, shut off the water and call your local SERVPRO. If a sump pump failed, call your plumber as soon as possible. A quick response is the key to mitigating, or minimizing, the loss in water damage.

If the cleanup process does not begin immediately and the water begins to evaporate on its own you can begin to suffer the effects of secondary damage, also known as moisture damage. The air will absorb the water and become fully saturated. As the evaporation continues the water can get into things like drywall and ceiling tiles. Here are some tips you can follow that might minimize the amount of damage your house will suffer after a water loss.

• Remove water from flat surfaces by mopping
• Open doors and drawers on furniture for ventilation and drying
• Remove electronics and artwork to a dry area
• Elevate all furniture
• Call SERVPRO of Haverhill/Newburyport for assistants. 978-374-8555