Restorative Drying

12/3/2020 (Permalink)

The restoring drying specialist may be asked from time to time to dry water damaged documents. While such procedures are not normally recommended because it is almost always impossible to produce "before loss" appearances, some situations involving irreplaceable items, such as original historical documents, items of sentimental value, original tax files, out of print books, etc. may necessitate an attempt. In some cases, simply drying out so the documents can be copied will provide a valuable service. Freezing or drying items such as books and papers saturated with Category 1 water within 24-48 hours can greatly reduce damage done by moisture. Transporting while frozen to an area where thawing and drying can be closely controlled and monitored will then give the restorer an opportunity to preserve the documents. Keep the items frozen until controlled drying can commence. If book pages are coated, wax paper is inserted between each page to alleviate pages from sticking together. When this need arises, SERVPRO of High Point has a resource within our own Corporate office in Gallatin, TN. They've restored documents for the Library of Congress!