Document Restoration: Techniques for Drying Water-Damaged Books and Records

Water damage can cause severe destruction to a home and its valuable contents. And some of the most precious possessions in a home include documents such as important paperwork, priceless books as well as invaluable records. Once the damage has occurred, the only recourse left with homeowners is drying and recovering the documents. Some of these processes can be carried out by homeowners on their own, while others, especially those that involve restoration of fragile and expensive paperwork may require the expertise of a proficient document restoration company.

Air Drying

Air drying is the most prevalent method that homeowners usually apply to deal with water-damaged records and books. This inexpensive method works well for a small number of moist or wet documents and can easily be executed in-house as it does not require the use of any special equipment. However, it is a laborious task that requires a great amount of space, constant monitoring of the process, and usually results in an unclear end product. This method is unsuitable for coated paper books. The expenses associated with rehabilitation tend to be higher after air drying than other procedures. Often bound materials need some additional treatment such as pressing and full rebinding, and documents require flattening and re-housing after air drying. Extra storage space is also needed for the documents stabilized and dried using this technique.

Dehumidification

Dehumidification allows homeowners to dry the documents without removing them from shelves and storage containers. Commercial desiccant systems are used to control the temperature and humidity as per requirements. This procedure is not recommended for water-sensitive inks, pigments and coated papers. Dehumidification is generally used to stabilize the building and environment. It is often used in combination with other drying techniques.

Freezer Drying

Documents that are slightly wet or a bit damp can be dried effectively if kept in a blast or frost free for a sufficient amount of time. The temperature in the freezer should always be kept at or under -10 Degrees Fahrenheit. This method can also be used to dry leather and vellum bindings. Place stacks of documents in a freezer. Depending on the freezer’s temperature and level of water damage, it may take several weeks to months for documents to dry.

Vacuum Freeze-Drying

This method is suitable for large quantity of wet documents, including those with water-sensitive inks and coated paper. It involves placing boxes of damaged records and books into a vacuum chamber. A vacuum is drawn, and a heat source is introduced while the temperature in the chamber is maintained below 32 Degrees Fahrenheit. This process of drying materials is known as sublimation, where the water in a solid form (ice) is converted directly into the gaseous form and extracted from the materials. It eliminates the chances of documents being distorted by further wetting. The storage space required for the documents after this method is just a bit more than what they occupied before getting wet.