The Difference Between Primary and Secondary Damage

10/11/2018 (Permalink)

Mold damage behind tiled walls in a Norman, OK home's bathroom

When waters flood your home in Norman, Ok, you may not worry about how the resulting damage was caused. However, understanding the difference between secondary and primary damage can help you make smart decisions about the cleanup process. Black mold, for example, may not grow in your flooded home if you act quickly.

Primary

Primary damage is anything that happened at the time of the flooding. This can include the following:

• Broken pipe
• Damaged building materials
• Waterlogged furniture

Many residential water cleanup professionals consider primary damage to be anything done at the time of the flooding before the waters stopped flowing.

Secondary

Secondary damage, therefore, is anything that happened once the initial flood stopped. Often, this type of destruction takes place when flooding is not noticed for days. Black mold can start to grow if stagnant water is left unattended, for example. Slow reaction times aren't the only thing that could cause your home to continue being damaged after flooding has stopped. A poor cleanup technique can also attribute to this destruction.

For example, if your home is not completely dried out, there may still be a higher-than-normal humidity level. This high humidity can degrade fabrics, warp wood floors or encourage the growth of mold spores.

Cleanup

If you want to avoid problems after water damage, you need to make sure to address the flooding as quickly as possible. This quick reaction time gives the water and high humidity less time to wreak havoc on your home.

As a homeowner, you may not care if your home was damaged during a flood or after. After all, you have to repair all of the issues caused, so who cares how they came about? However, understanding that there is a difference between damage caused during a flood, such as the breakdown of ceiling tiles, and damage caused after, such as the growth of black mold, can help you and your residential cleanup crew make smart, fast choices right after a disaster.