Flood damage and excessive water damage can be debilitating to the foundation of a house or commercial establishment. However, the foundation is not the only element at risk. Personal belongings such as photos and books, along with important paper documents, can also be severely damaged from being submerged in water. These sensitive items may be difficult to replace. Thankfully, they may not have to be.
Located in Carrollton and serving North Dallas and the surrounding areas, Paul Davis Restoration of North Dallas offers several services to bring residential and commercial properties back to pre-loss conditions, including flood damage restoration and repair and water damage restoration and repair. Here, we offer tips on how you can salvage your paper documents, books, and water-damaged photos.
How to Save Water-Damaged Photos, Papers, and Books
When flooding or water damage occurs, lost or broken appliances and furniture can be an inconvenience. However, unless they are family heirlooms, these items are often replaceable. What are less easy to replace are family photographs, scrapbooks, important paperwork, and some books.
While it may seem like nothing can be done, there are methods for saving these items. Consider the following steps for recovering these materials:
Photos, Negatives, and Color Slides
- Carefully remove photos from the water, making sure to separate any that are stuck together and avoid rubbing or touching the photo’s surface.
- In a sink or bucket filled with clear, cold water, gently rinse both sides of the photo.
- Arrange space and lay each wet photo face-up on any clean blotting paper such as a paper towel. Change the blotting paper every hour or two until the photos dry.
Papers and Books
These steps apply to marriage licenses, birth certificates, favorite books, sentimental letters, old tax returns, and other important paper-based items — the key is removing dampness as soon as possible: They include:
- Remove papers and books from the water carefully.
- If damage is the result of dirty water, gently rinse papers with cold water. If the papers are especially fragile, lay the papers on a flat surface and rinse them with a spray of water.
- Individually lay the papers on a flat surface and out of direct sunlight.
- Place an oscillating fan in the room you are using as a dry station to increase air circulation.
- For water-logged books, place absorbent paper between the wet pages and then lay the books flat to dry. A paper towel is not needed in between every page — every 20-50 pages will do. Change the blotting paper every few hours until dry.
Other Tips
When cleaning up after a flood or water leak, it is important to remember that photographs, papers, and books do not need to be submerged in water to suffer damage. Increased humidity is enough to create an environment that supports the growth of mold and damage to your belongings. That is why it is essential to remove any paper items you wish to save from a wet location as soon as you can and move them to a new dry location with good air circulation to speed up the drying process.
After wet papers are completely dry, you may notice they now feature a musty, unpleasing smell. To combat this, put the books or papers in an open box and put that inside a larger, closed container with an open box of baking soda. The baking soda will absorb the foul-smelling odors, but be careful not to let the baking soda touch the papers or books.
Seek Water Damage Restoration Services
If you live in North Dallas or the surrounding area and have experienced unexpected flooding or water damage, call upon the professional restoration and emergency services at Paul Davis Restoration of North Dallas. Our team will act quickly to help you salvage your water-damaged photos, books, and papers, as well as help your family or business get back on its feet with little disruption. To learn more about our water damage repair services, contact us today at Paul Davis Restoration of North Dallas.
