Your home can experience significant damage from water, whether the result of a flood, a burst pipe, or a fire. This can include your documents and photos. In fact, you may be afraid they have been permanently damaged.
Thankfully, it’s possible to restore water-damaged photos. At Steamatic of North Indianapolis, we have the experience needed to save your precious memories and make your photos as good as new. However, there are steps you should take as soon as possible to make sure your photos, documents, and books have the highest chance of survival.
Tips for Saving Loose Photos From Water Damage
Loose and even framed photos are vulnerable to irreversible damage after flooding. You should immediately take steps to preserve them.
First, move any loose photos to a dry area. The longer they sit any amount of water, the worse the damage will be.
Take a dry cloth, and very carefully, try to remove as much moisture as you can from the photos.
Make sure to blot but not rub, or you might rub off the images.
Then, place them face-up on plain paper towels in an area away from direct sunlight. Try your best to weigh the corners down with something however small so as to prevent your photos from curling throughout the drying process.
Take extra care to replace the damp paper towels they’re sitting on regularly as well!
If you can’t get to them right away, put them in a Ziploc bag and freeze them. This will help prevent further damage until you can get the professionals in.
Framed photos should be removed from their frame and then given the same treatment. If they are stuck to the glass, dry them as they are with the glass facing down. Photos in albums should be removed from the albums and dried in the same way. This should help salvage and restore water-damaged photos.
Saving Water Damaged Books and Documents
Individual documents should be removed from the wet areas and placed on a plain paper towel. Put weights on the corners.
Then, on its lowest setting, use a fan to blow air over them. It’s important the fan is low enough and far away enough that it doesn’t actually lift the documents up but that it just passes air over them to help them dry.
Do not use a hair dryer, as the heat will cause more damage. A regular household fan is best. Replace the wet towels regularly.
For books, place a paper towel between every 20 to 50 pages, then lay them out flat. Replace the paper towels every few hours. Run a fan in the room. Your garage is a great location for this if you have one.
Avoid drying outside. Some people will tell you to do this, but it can increase curling due to direct sunlight.
As with photos, anything that can’t be dried right away should be put in ziploc bags in the freezer.
Once your books and papers are dry, it should be okay to give them a smell test.
If they smell musty, put them in an open box inside a closed container with baking soda. Make sure the baking soda doesn’t touch the books. This should take care of the smell.
Why Hire Professional Restoration Services?
If done right away, the steps above can help with your photos, documents, and books. However, a professional restorer knows what they are doing.
A professional will have the equipment needed to dry and restore water-damaged photos and documents.
They can also help you with other water damage, including potential structural damage to your home. Professionals can resolve the situation much faster and will work with your insurance company to make sure you can make a claim as appropriate.
Professional restorers will do everything they can to make sure that your precious photos, books, and documents are restored to their pre-flood condition.
Professional Restoration Services after Fire or Flood in North Indianapolis
At Steamatic of North Indianapolis, we have the professional experience to restore everything from furniture to photos to paintings.
We can even handle your rare books, and we specialize in document recovery.
If you are afraid you have lost your most valuable heirlooms or vital information, contact us to find out more.
IMG Credit: beeboys
