Wet Documents: Tips for Restoration After a Flood

5/12/2020 (Permalink)

In the event of a flood, wet documents are a nightmare situation for many business owners

Tips for Restoration After a Flood

In the event of a flood, wet documents are a nightmare situation for many business owners. Whether it's legal files, photographs, maps, or other types of essential documents, having a few things on hand and a solid plan of action can alleviate the burden of cleanup. To expedite the restoration process, you'll need:

• Paper towels
• Adjustable fans
• Paperweights

Most urgently, you'll need to get the documents away from water as soon as possible. Use proper safety gear here, especially if the floodwater could be contaminated. At this point, you should assess whether you can restore your documents now or later. If you don't have the considerable amount of time or space needed to handle the damaged materials, or if the water is polluted, you should plan to deal with it later.

Restoring Documents Later
Freeze your wet documents in plastic bags to prevent mold. Lay them flat in the freezer to prevent further damage. Documents should not be held here long, so prepare your restoration workspace accordingly. If there's any concern about bacteria in the flooding, or if the documents are damaged beyond simpler drying methods, you'll want to call document restoration professionals in the Marcus Hook, NC, area. Seasoned experts will have technology that sanitizes, digitizes, or otherwise recovers your important files.

Restoring Documents Now
If you're able to manage document drying now, you'll want to first decrease the humidity in your workspace. Eliminate excess water by running a fan in the same room and allowing paper towels to soak up any moisture in your documents. Make sure the paper towels you lay documents on are plain — no designs, as these could bleed and transfer. You'll also want to hold down your documents with some sort of weight to prevent them from curling at the edges.
Cleaning water-damaged materials is a risky, time-consuming restoration process. With careful action and help when you need it, your wet documents can often still be saved.