Can Document Drying Services Recover Wet Books and Photos?

Posted on: January 20, 2015 | By: Michael T. | dehumidification, drying water damaged things

Can Document Drying Services Recover Wet Books and Photos?

Floods pose a very serious threat to property. Water damage can be so severe that homeowners must replace furniture, plumbing, drywall and carpet. In some cases, though, these items can be saved—especially if you contact an established technician who understands how to restore property.

Damaged Books by San Francisco FloodingMany business- and homeowners are especially concerned about books, family photographs and important documents. Some mistakenly assume that any amount of water damage can completely ruin paper or similar materials. However, with the right equipment and procedures, it may be possible to save water-damaged paper.

If a recent flood has damaged books, photographs or other documents, contact Allied Restoration Co. today. For more than 15 years, home and business owners throughout San Francisco have relied on us to restore their water-damaged property. Call us today at 415-529-5637 for a free quote.

Timely Response Is Critical When It Comes to Saving Books

According to the NEDCC, a number of important factors come into play when salvaging water-damaged books, and response time is one of the most critical. 

It is important not to move or disturb property that has suffered water damage unless a professional recommends it. Moving documents, photos or books can worsen the damage.

How Does Document Drying Work? 

Depending on the level of damage and how long the documents have been soaked, the restoration process will usually involve a number of different approaches. One of the first steps is to assess how dirty the water is and whether or not the books or documents require cleaning. After this, there are several other specialized techniques that may involve freezing or air drying the property. 

Is It Possible to Save Digital Documents? 

Over the last decade, many home and business owners have turned to digitizing documents and photographs with the intention of preserving them. Despite a number of changing storage formats, this method usually works. However, when a computer or hard drive suffers water damage, all data might be lost. As with physical documents, the likelihood of salvaging digital documents mostly depends on response time. 

One advantage physical copies may have over digitized versions is that even badly damaged items have a chance of being repaired. With digital documents, unfortunately, there is a point when recovery is highly unlikely. If you choose to save documents on a hard drive, it is best also to store them on an external server so they will be available if the hard drive crashes or suffers water damage. 

Book and Document Recovery in San Francisco 

Call Allied Restoration Co. at 415-529-5637 for a variety of flood recovery services including water extraction, dehumidification and document drying in San Francisco.