Water damage due to flooding can be a serious issue for your home and result in significant loss as well as damage of valuable items. Hiring a professional agency for water damage restoration in Exton, PA can help in reducing losses and returning things to normal as quickly as possible.
Our aim here is to look at the correct procedures for restoring water damaged documents, books, photographs, and framed items as described by NARA.
Documents
Documents need to be air dried while lying flat and in very small piles of about 1/2 inch or, if possible, individually. It is necessary for the restoration firm to replace the blotting material placed under the documents at regular intervals when the blotting material becomes soaked.
Books
Interleaving material should be placed between the front as well as back covers and text block. It would be even better if interleaving material can be placed between pages in the book.
Water will gradually wick into the interleaving paper and evaporate, helping in faster drying of the books. Restoration professionals will have to change interleaving material at regular intervals after it soaks up water, and the book should be inverted to facilitate equal drying.
Negatives, Photographs, and Films
Restoration professionals should refrain from touching the surface of negatives as well as other photographic prints. It is also important not to freeze old negatives or photographs.
Face–up air drying is effective for most negatives, prints, and slides. It will be necessary to replace the blotting paper from underneath the photographs after it soaks up the water.
Framed Items
When it comes to framed items, the first thing to do is separate the backing material from the frame and determine if the framed item is sticking to the glass. If it’s not, the item should be carefully taken out from frame and air dried.
If the item is sticking to the glass, it is better to not forcefully remove it from the frame. A more suitable option is to dry the whole framed item intact but make sure the glass side is kept down.
Air Dry or Freeze?
It is worth mentioning here that when it’s not possible to air dry documents, books, or photographs within 2 days after water damage occurs, such items should ideally be frozen to prevent mold growth.
Normally, the air drying technique will help in drying out most of the items, but it is likely that some amount of physical distortion of the item will take place. When performed correctly and in a timely manner by restoration professionals, your documents, photos, and records will stand a much higher chance of being salvaged.
If your home has been affected by water damage and you need urgent help in salvaging important documents and other items, you need to get in touch with us immediately. ServiceMaster Professional Cleaning and Restoration has the required technical knowledge and expertise to perform water damage restoration in Exton, PA with relative ease. Just give us a call at 610.524.8003. Our professional team of experienced technicians will quickly respond, analyze the problem you are facing, and initiate the required tasks of cleaning and remediating the flood damage as efficiently and thoroughly as possible.