Archive for October, 2008

Simple Ways of Water Removal and Extraction

October 27, 2008 at 2:24 pm · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged , ,

Water damage from a leaky roof, a broken pipe, and even an overflowing toilet all need immediate water removal and extraction. If not acted upon right away, the water can quickly spread to other parts of the house, cause additional damage, and may end up costing a lot more money.

Professional restoration services use heavy-duty tools and industry-grade equipment to remove water from inside a house. While majority of regular homeowners do not have such water removal machinery, they can thankfully rely on other ways of drying out personal items. The following are three simple ways of water removal and extraction that can be used for minor water damage repairs at home.

1. Air Drying
No heavy science here: air drying is the simplest and oldest way of water removal. The only requirements are a bit of sun and lots of air, two things that are naturally abundant and are available for free. Homeowners can use this tried and tested water removal method to dry out their personal belongings and save them from further water damage.

For successful air drying, lay out wet items side by side on a spacious flat surface. Prop up items like mattresses and cushions so that both sides dry out evenly. Completely wash carpets, drapes, and upholstery to get rid of water damage stains before air drying. Some things, like books and photographs, are easily damaged by sunlight so leave these indoors to dry.

It is important that the air within the drying area is constantly circulated. This way, the moisture and humidity levels are kept to a minimum. Air drying works best for slightly to moderately wet items and is most effective if the entire drying process is steadily observed.

2. Freeze Drying
Freeze drying involves the use of freezers in drying out water-damaged items. Carpets, clothes, and single sheets of paper can be air-dried, but bound volumes, artworks, and family keepsakes should be freeze-dried. Professionals use industrial freezers for water removal, but homeowners can use their no-frost home freezer and find that it can work just as well.

Place water-damaged items inside the freezer as soon as possible. This will stop the water from spreading and will impede further damage. Maintain the freezer temperature below -10 degrees F to keep the items from warping and distorting. Freeze drying will work even better if the water-damaged items are spread out inside the freezer instead of being stacked on top of one other. Expect freeze drying to take several weeks to a few months before complete water removal is achieved.

3. Dehumidification
Dehumidification simply means removing humidity from inside the house. Professionals use large commercial dehumidifiers for this water removal method, but there are simpler ways of lowering humidity levels.

Open all doors and windows. This will let humidity-decreasing sunlight and air inside the house. Remove items like carpets and rugs as these could trap excess moisture within their material. Install exhaust fans and air vents in the kitchen, the bathroom, and other areas of the house that are prone to water damage. Lastly, use air conditioners to control the temperature and humidity levels inside the house.

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Document Freeze Drying Process Saves Vital Documents

October 27, 2008 at 2:23 pm · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged ,

Many disasters can occur that cause you to have documentation, paperwork, books, or photographs to be damaged. Fires, floods, hurricanes and other disasters, as well as negligence and simple accidents like liquid spills, are just a few of the common reasons people find themselves in these situations. Document freeze drying is a fast growing process that has been little known until recent days.  Document freeze drying companies are beginning to pop up all over the country and possibly all over the world. The actual methods used have been around for hundreds of years used for food preservation as far back as the Inca’s. Of course today’s procedures are much more sophisticated, which allows us to restore our most vital documents. Just think how much of a blessing is that when you can now protect all your valuable and priceless documents and photos for the longest time possible.

Have you ever considered what you would do if all of your documentation and identification was damaged in a fire. How would you begin to prove who you are? How would you be able to visit a doctor with no I.D. and no insurance card?   What if you are strictly a card carrying member and have no cash and your credit cards were damaged and you have no way to prove your identity?  This may seem impossible and unrealistic but it could happen. Now you have the empowerment and knowledge to seek out a document freeze drying company to assist putting your life back together. To help recreate your memories and restore the thoughts you diligently wrote in your journals. Document freeze drying companies more often than not are the completely discreet. So if you need your little black book saved, your secret is safe with them. Just remember if all the dirt you had on your ex suddenly winds up in a fire right before your court date….you have the power!!

* Below are just a few pointers to assist you in case of damage to your documents. These little tips are no substitute for a document freeze drying specialist.

One of the most difficult tasks is restoring documents, microfilm, photographs and books. Fires, floods, hurricanes, plumbing mishaps and just neglect and old age can leave vital records, microfilm, photographs and books damaged. Almost 100% of damaged documents can be reincarnated. When the damage is water photographs should not be allowed to dry and paper i.e. books should be frozen to prevent further damage. Ink smears when wet, freezing is a protectant.

* Document freeze drying professionals should be immediately contacted.

X-ray film and Microfilm should be refrigerated when at all possible until they can be delivered into the hands of a document freeze drying company employee….
 
Documents that are covered with silt  from a flood should be rinsed and wiped off before  freezing them. Separate the documents into packets with plastic or wax paper before freezing and immediately contact your document freeze drying company. They should be able to save your documents without any hassle.

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Document Drying Books

October 27, 2008 at 2:22 pm · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged

When it comes to the process of document drying books, you should know that there have been many different tests. These document drying tests for books have been conducted in order to find the best method out there for document drying. The descriptions we are going to provide for you within this article on document drying books are geared to help you in making the best choice when it comes to document drying your books. When it comes to having your books put through the process of document drying, you will have to take in account the cause of damage, number of volumes that are involved, rarity, level of damage, budget available and the document drying services that are available for you.

If your books have recently went through water damage and you do not know what type of document drying process you should put them in, you can always ask for advice. When looking for someone for advice, you can inquire at a document drying company. Depending on the type of book and the degree of damage, more than one type of document drying method may be applied. You should keep in mind that there is no document drying method out there that will restore the materials back to their original, brand new condition. The truth is that those books will never be in any better condition than before they went through the water damage but it will be restored to a better shape.  Most probably, it will be readable again at the least.

After drying, the books and record that have gone through water damage will require at least twenty percent more space on the shelf. This is because of the permanent swelling the paper fibers have went through.  As we all know, paper is very delicate and the damage may not be corrected entirely.  If you have to take time to make big decisions or remove a large amount of books from the site, you should freeze all of the books. When going through the document drying process, they tell you to have the books frozen in order to reduce physical distortion and also the biological contamination. When you freeze your book during the document drying process, you will also be putting the bleeding of dyes and inks to a halt. If you are document drying some rare or unique books, then you should look into consulting a paper or book conservator.

When it comes to document drying your books you will have a number of different methods. These methods include desiccant/dehumidification drying, vacuum freeze drying and vacuum drying. This type of document drying can only be found through a commercial disaster company. When you are choosing a company to do your document drying of your library, you should make sure you choose a company that has experience. You should also ask for reference and after you have received your books after they have been through the process of document drying, you should inspect them. Make sure that the books are fully dried.

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