Plunging Into A Water Loss
When documents, books, records and other materials have sustained water
damage, the magnitude of the recovery job may seem overwhelming. Having a
working knowledge of the important things to do - and not to do - can help
get things on the right track quickly.
Of course, getting a trained disaster recovery team on site as soon as
possible is an important early step. According to the Preservation Policy
and Services Division of the National Archives & Records Administration in
Washington, D.C., the team should have two major objectives. The first goal
should be to stabilize the condition of the materials before removal by
creating the environment necessary to prevent further damage. Then, the
team should focus on recovering the maximum amount of materials from the
damaged collections in such a manner as to minimize future restoration and
costs.
The most generally accepted method of stabilizing water-damaged library
and archival materials before they are dried is by freezing and storing at
low temperatures. Freezing prevents further deterioration of the documents
or records from water and mold. This process buys time for planning and
organizing the steps to restoring the materials.
Freezing can also stabilize water-soluble materials such as inks, dyes and
water stains which would otherwise spread by wicking action if they were
dried using conventional methods. (Water-soluble compounds remain stable
during a freeze-drying process, which involves the removal of water by
sublimation.)
Of course, there are many more details involved in the proper recovery and
restoration of water-damaged documents, books and records. Hopefully, these
guidelines will give you a general idea of the initial steps that need to be
taken and the importance of seeking expert advice.
Drying Methods Crash Course
How do you know what drying methods are best? The Preservation Policy and
Services Division of the National Archives & Records Administration in
Washington, D.C., offers these general guidelines:
- Air Dry: Paintings (immediately freeze), jacketed microfilm (within 72
hours), photographs (face up, dry immediately)
- Freeze dry only: Coated papers, books and periodicals with coated papers
(all within 48 hours; immediately pack)
- Air or freeze dry: Water colors and other soluble media (immediately),
framed prints or drawings - once exposed (within 48 hours)
- Air, vacuum or freeze dry: Paper, books and pamphlets (all within 48
hours)
- Air or non-vacuum freeze dry: Leather and vellum binding (immediately
freeze)
- Air dry, thaw and air dry or freeze dry: Prints, negatives or
transparencies - do not vacuum dry (within 72 hours)
- Rewash and dry: Microfilm rolls (within 72 hours)
Keep in mind that there are particular precautionary steps and packing
procedures that must be followed for each material - another reason why it
is best to rely on an experienced disaster recovery vendor for advice after
a water loss.
Does Your Vendor Know The Right Questions To Ask?
The cost of drying documents varies substantially according to the method
used and how much needs to be salvaged. Before tackling a drying project,
experienced restoration vendors will ask these pertinent questions to
determine the appropriate steps:
- Is the information on the documents duplicated or "backed-up" in some
manner?
- Is the value of the document in the information that is on the paper,
or is the actual document itself what is valuable?
- Will a reproduced version be sufficient?
- Is a wrinkled, smeared version adequate?
- How long have the documents been wet?
- What type of water was involved (i.e., clean, river, black, etc.)?
These questions help the customer and the insurance carrier understand all
the options. The value of the document will ultimately determine which
restoration option is most appropriate.
Basically, these questions help ascertain whether documents have extrinsic
or intrinsic value. Extrinsic value means that copies or other
reproductions can be just as useful as the originals. Intrinsic value means
that the value is inherent in the original document, as with financial,
legal, insurance, or historical documents. Vital records are those
documents and media that are especially significant because they contain
information about legal and financial status and are necessary for the
organization to stay in business.
Carefully assessing all the factors and classifying the documents before
beginning a drying project ensures that correct, prudent steps are taken and
unnecessary expense is avoided. "In document damage cases, it's very
important to determine the level of service and recovery that the customer
truly needs," says Brad Key, Director of ServiceMaster Recovery Management.
"A restoration company with integrity will always try to find the most
cost-effective and efficient ways of recovering and restoring documents, not
the most expensive."
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