Before

After

The Blessings and Curses of Secondary Damage

This customer purchased his home approximately 8 months ago, and was in complete bliss until an unexpected water damage fell in his lap. Walking through his living room he noticed the hardwood flooring under his feet was showing signs of "buckling". He moved his sofa to find the buckled wood ran all the way to the wall. A faint dripping sound could be heard coming from inside the wall.

He immediately called a plumber and received the bad news that a pipe in the wall had multiple leaks. It was evident the leak had been happening for quite some time, maybe even before he bought the home. Upon further investigation, he found the drywall, baseboards and hardwood flooring in the adjacent bathroom had also been affected.

Slightly panicked and upset, he made a quick call to his insurance company. A claim was filed and SERVPRO of Wilson/Nashville was contacted to inspect the damage.

Secondary damage caused by a water damage is both a blessing and a curse. If the hardwood flooring had not buckled, this customer would not have known there was a problem. A problem, even a small problem, can grow to become a full blown catastrophe if not handled right away.  That is why it is important to know whom to call for help and when.

After the mitigation tear-out was finished, it became clear how far the damage carried and how long it was a problem. Only a small portion of the living room was affected and it had not been affected long enough to cause any rot. The bathroom, however, sustained the most damage over a long period of time. The anticipated repairs for a damage, such as this, include new floor covering, new sub-floor, a new vanity, plumbing repair, drywall patch, and paint.