During a flood event, your books and documents are in great danger. These personal artifacts can hold value beyond measure and we understand the importance of preserving their sentimental weight.
It’s important to start salvaging your water-damaged photos, books, and files within two days, or else they will begin to become moldy and deteriorate. Both the water and the ensuing humidity in the air can cause permanent corrosion. The good news is that there is a way how to conserve water damaged photos, newspapers, and books, but only in the event that you act fast and work with caution.
Saving Water-Damaged Photos
- Save images in frames when they’re still drenched, otherwise, you might hurt the photos when seeking to eliminate them. To separate a wet photo from a photo frame, gently rinse both photo and framework with plain water, and then carefully remove the photo.
- For rescuing old photos, consult with a professional conservator first. These historic photographs are more sensitive to damage and recovery.
- When you’re ready, remove the photos from the sand or water being careful to not touch the very front of the photos.
- Place the photo image side up onto a rigid surface such as aboard.
- If photos have dirt on them, rinse them lightly using clean water in a sink or bucket.
- After cleansing the photos, place them on blotting paper, like a paper towel.
- Dry the photos indoors. Don’t take them outside as sunlight and wind may cause photos to curl more quickly.
- Let photos air-dry, but change the paper towels every one to two hours.
- If drying the photos isn’t your priority, then you can purchase some time by freezing them. Just make sure to first rinse them of grime and stack them between sheets of wax paper. This will make them easier to separate when handled.
Saving Water-Damaged Publications and Records
- Eliminate your files from the water with care. If the papers are dirty, gently rinse them and put them on a level surface on top of the blotted paper. Use paper towels with no prints and avoid newspaper. Keep changing the paper towels.
- Do not dry them outside where sunlight and wind can curl the products. Enable them to air-dry indoors and operate an oscillating fan in the area to improve air circulation and accelerate drying.
- For waterlogged novels, place one absorbent paper between every 20 to 50 wet webpages and put the books flat to dry. Change the blotting paper every couple of hours.
- If you’re able to put the books in a vertical position, attempt to fan out the pages and let to air-dry. Speed up the drying process using a fan. This helps preserve them and stops mold from growing until they’re all set to be restored.
- If papers and books smell musty after drying, then set them in an open box and then put that within a closed container using baking soda to absorb odors. Do not let baking soda touch the novels.
For Professional Water Damage Restoration, Call PuroClean
Although you might have the ability to follow all of these steps yourself, employing a record and photo restoration professional is usually a safer choice. PuroClean’s trained technicians have the equipment and expertise to salvage sensitive files and bring them back to life. If your house suffers from water damage, call the professionals at the local PuroClean.