Preserving Paper Documents After Flooding

6/28/2022 (Permalink)

Exposure to water could possibly destroy and ruin paper documents. Whether it is a flood, leak, or other moisture, documents can be ruined incredibly fast. Some of these documents have a lot of monetary, sentimental or educational value especially when they are papers that are required to be preserved by law, hold historical value or are proprietary. It is important to move fast and try to dry out and save these documents as soon as possible. SERVPRO of Lynnwood has experience preserving documents for city buildings, law firms, banks, museums and educational facilities. There are 4 common ways to save paper documents. Each method has its own advantages. The types of drying are as follows.

1. Vacuum Freeze-Drying: during this process papers are put into an airtight chamber and negative vacuum pressure is generated. This rapidly freezes them and puts them into a dry state.
2. Desiccant Air Drying: Papers are placed on racks and shelves in a room with a dehumidifier. The paper is continuously dried, and this process takes around 7 days.
3. Cleaning and Sterilization: This process is used when there is dirt, fungi, or grime on the paper. They are wiped with sponges and scrub pads while avoiding the use of liquid solutions. After that a HEPA vacuum system may be used to disinfect and sterilize.
4. Digital Imaging: This process is used before the flood. Take pictures/Scan in the document and save them to the computer or the cloud

With these methods saving paper is a strong possibility, but sometimes it is not always possible to save these documents, thinking ahead and taking precautions before disaster strikes is a great first step. Be mindful of where papers are stored and consider electronic backup as well. If you need help with document drying call SERVPRO of Lynnwood at 425-774-1148.